Naveen Patnaik alleges horse trading by BJP ahead of crucial Rajya Sabha vote
March 14, 2026: Naveen Patnaik on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of engaging in “horse trading” ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha. His remarks came amid concerns about possible cross-voting in the biennial polls where five candidates are contesting for four seats. Senior BJP leader Jaynarayan Mishra rejected the allegation, saying the party was not involved in any such activity.
The BJP has fielded its state unit president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar, while former Union minister Dilip Ray is contesting as an Independent with the party’s backing. The Biju Janata Dal has nominated party leader Santrupt Misra and noted urologist Dr Datteswar Hota, whose candidature is supported by the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). With neither BJP nor BJD holding enough numbers to secure the fourth seat outright, the possibility of cross-voting has heightened political tensions.
Responding to Patnaik’s charge, Mishra said the BJD chief was making accusations because he feared defeat and insisted that MLAs were free to vote according to their conscience. Meanwhile, BJD MLA Byomakesh Ray alleged that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi himself was encouraging “horse trading”. Voting for the Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha is scheduled for March 16, the first such contest in the state in 12 years, with four seats set to fall vacant on April 2.