Rajya Sabha Elections: Big Twist In Odisha As 11 MLAs Ditch Opposition; NDA Sweeps Bihar

Bhubaneswar: In the Odisha Rajya Sabha elections, both the BJD and the Congress have faced a major upset. Eight BJD MLAs and three Congress MLAs have voted against their own parties. All of them cast their votes in favor of the BJP-backed independent candidate, Dilip Ray. Voting was held for a total of four seats. Of these, a victory for the BJP is now all but certain on three seats. The joint candidate of the BJD and Congress, Dr. Datteswar Hota, is losing this election. Naveen Patnaik had no inkling that this would happen. However, following the voting, several MLAs have themselves admitted to engaging in cross-voting.

Which BJD MLAs engaged in cross-voting?

Saubhic Biswal: He is the MLA from Cuttack-Choudwar. He has openly admitted to voting for Dilip Ray. Saubhic stated that he did so to exact revenge for the expulsion of his father, Prabhat Biswal, from the party.

Debiranjan Tripathy: He is the MLA from the Banki constituency. He, too, voted against his party. Debiranjan remarked that aligning with the Congress was a mistake on the part of the BJD. He stated that he took this step to send a message to Naveen Patnaik.

Subasini Jena: She is the MLA from Basta. Prior to casting her vote, Subasini had stated that she would abide by the party's directives. However, at the time of voting, she voted against the party line. Just a few days earlier, her husband, Rabindra Jena, had quit the BJD and joined the BJP.

Naba Mallick: He is the MLA from the Jayadev constituency. For the past few days, he had been skipping the meetings held at 'Naveen Niwas.' He, too, voted for Dilip Ray instead of Dr. Datteswar.

Chakramani Kanhar: He is the MLA from Baliguda. He, too, cast his vote by defying the party line.

Ramakanta Bhoi: He is the MLA from Tirtol. His decision to vote against the party has caused significant damage to the BJD.

Sanatan Mahakud and Aravinda Mohapatra: Both of these individuals are MLAs currently under suspension from the BJD. It was already anticipated that they would vote against the party. They, too, have engaged in cross-voting.

How has the NDA performed in Bihar?

In the Bihar Rajya Sabha elections, the NDA has secured victory in all five seats. Four MLAs from the *Mahagathbandhan* (Grand Alliance) failed to turn up during the voting process, resulting in the defeat of their candidate, Amarendra Singh Dhari. Representing the NDA, Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, Ramnath Thakur, Upendra Kushwaha, and Shivesh Ram have emerged victorious.

What happened in Haryana?

Voting for the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana has concluded. A total of 88 MLAs cast their votes. Two MLAs from the INLD boycotted the voting process. The counting of votes could not commence due to objections raised regarding three specific votes. A complaint has been lodged with the Election Commission following disputes over the votes cast by the Congress party's Paramvir Singh and Bharat Beniwal, as well as the BJP's Anil Vij.