In a stunning political upset, the BJP dominated Monday’s Rajya Sabha elections, securing three of the four seats from Odisha. While BJP’s Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar won comfortably, the highlight was BJP-backed independent Dilip Ray, who repeated his 2002 feat by winning through strategic cross-voting.
The results dealt a severe blow to BJD leader Naveen Patnaik. Despite alliances with Congress and CPI(M), the joint opposition candidate, Dr. Dattaswar Hota, lost his bid. Reports indicate a significant internal rift, with at least 11 MLAs (8 from BJD and 3 from Congress) defying party whips to vote for Ray.
While BJD’s Santrupta Mishra secured one seat, the outcome underscores Naveen’s loosening grip on his legislators. The successful deployment of the ‘Dilip Card’ has shifted the state’s political balance, proving the BJP's growing influence in the corridors of power.