TNI Bureau: As the high-stakes battle for the Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha intensifies, former Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP, accusing the party of engaging in unethical “horse-trading” to secure victory.

The BJD leader’s statement comes at a critical juncture, as five candidates are vying for four vacant seats. Patnaik explicitly pointed to the BJP’s support for independent candidate Dilip Ray as a primary driver of these tactics.

According to Patnaik, the BJP does not have the requisite numbers to win an additional seat legitimately and is therefore resorting to “fraudulent manners” to influence the democratic process.

The Numbers Game
The arithmetic for the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly is tight:

• A candidate needs 30 first-preference votes to secure a win.
• BJP (79 MLAs + 3 Independents): Can comfortably win two seats (Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar).
• BJD (48 MLAs): Can secure one seat for Dr. Santrupta Mishra but lacks enough alone for the second.
• The “Common Candidate”: Dr. Datteswar Hota, supported by a coalition of BJD, Congress (14 MLAs), and CPI(M) (1 MLA), technically has the 33 votes needed to win.

Patnaik’s concern stems from the potential for cross-voting, particularly after recent defections like former MP Ravindra Kumar Jena joining the BJP.