Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today extended his congratulations to the BJP’s Rajya Sabha nominees and the party-backed Independent candidate for their victories.
In a post on X, Majhi said, “Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the party’s state president Shri @SamalManmohan7 Ji, who emerged victorious as a candidate on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha elections, the party’s senior leader Shri @SujeetKOfficial Ji, and the party-supported independent candidate Shri @DilipRayOdisha Ji”.
Majhi said the victory marks an important milestone in fulfilling the resolve to build a ‘Viksit Odisha’ under the BJP government.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our party’s State President Shri @SamalManmohan7 Ji, senior leader Shri @SujeetKOfficial Ji
and party supported Independent candidate Shri @DilipRayOdisha Ji on being elected to the Rajya Sabha.This victory is an important milestone in… pic.twitter.com/aCjA4yx5yR
— Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) March 16, 2026
“Their presence in the upper house of Parliament will further strengthen the voice of Odisha’s interests, progress, and public service at the national level,” the chief minister said.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP secured two of the four Rajya Sabha seats while the opposition BJD and a BJP-backed Independent candidate captured one seat each in the biennial election in Bhubaneswar.
Returning Officer and Odisha Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout handed over the winning certificates to the four newly elected members following the conclusion of the Rajya Sabha polls.
BJP’s Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar both secured 35 votes each to win the elections. Their win underscores the saffron party’s growing dominance in the state assembly.
The BJD’s official nominee, entrepreneur-turned-politician Santrupt Misra, successfully secured his seat by garnering 31 votes, providing a silver lining for the opposition.
The battle for the fourth seat provided the day’s most intense drama, as BJP-backed Independent candidate and former Union Minister Dilip Ray emerged victorious through second-preference votes. Ray faced off against opposition-backed nominee Datteswar Hota, who had the combined support of the BJD, Congress, and CPI(M).
After both candidates were deadlocked with 23 first-preference votes each, the second-preference tally ultimately tipped the scales in Ray’s favour, an official said.
