 in Odisha on Thursday criticised the coming together of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD)){kind=link}
Saffron party calls Rajya Sabha poll support an “alliance of desperation”
March 12, 2026: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha on Thursday criticised the coming together of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Indian National Congress for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, calling it an “alliance of desperation” and “opportunism.” BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal made the remark after Congress extended support to BJD’s common candidate, eminent urologist Datteswar Hota, in the polls.
With neither the BJP nor the BJD having enough numbers in the Assembly to secure an additional seat after ensuring victory for their official nominees, BJD chief Naveen Patnaik fielded Hota as a common candidate. Soon after the announcement, Bhakta Charan Das, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, declared Congress support, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also backed the candidate. Patnaik, Das and CPI(M) state secretary Suresh Panigrahy were present when Hota filed his nomination.
The BJP, however, described the move as a sign of growing proximity between two former rivals. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said the development would ultimately benefit his party, while BJD leader Santrupt Misra rejected claims of an alliance, stating that it was merely an understanding for the Rajya Sabha election and not a broader political partnership.