Rajya Sabha race heats up in Odisha as Congress extends support to BJD candidate

Congress backs BJD's candidate for Rajya Sabha, intensifying Odisha's political contest and blocking BJP's potential third seat

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday (February 28, 2026) announced two candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls despite having the numbers to ensure victory for only one, a move that turned the contest competitive after the Indian National Congress swiftly extended support to the second nominee. This has possibly upset the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bid to secure three seats from the State.

Santrupt Misra, the former Human Resources head of Aditya Birla Group, who joined BJD just before 2024 Lok Sabha elections and unsuccessfully fought the polls from Cuttack, is the first choice candidate while Dr. Datteswar Hota, noted urologist and first Vice-Chancellor of Odisha Health University, is the “common” candidate.

“For Rajya Sabha elections, our party has decided to give two candidates. First candidate for the third seat would be Dr. Santrupta Mishra, a senior member of our party. The second candidate for the fourth seat is a common candidate – Dr. Datteswar Hota, a renowned doctor from Odisha, first VC of OHU and former principal of SCB Medical College,” said BJD supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while making a formal announcement of the candidates.

“Since he (Dr. Hota) is a common candidate, we appeal to all the parties to support him and send him to Rajya Sabha,” Mr. Patnaik said.

“The BJD president and my MLA colleagues have given me an onerous responsibility of representing the party as nominee for Raya Sabha elections. I am grateful to them for reposing faith in me. I hope we will take the issues of Odisha and Odia people forward and ensure BJD remains strong and come back to power in 2029,” said Mr. Mishra in his reaction.

Similarly, Dr. Hota said, “I will surely utilise the experience whatever I have gained during my long career in public health if given an opportunity to represent Odisha in Rajya Sabha and work towards strengthening health sector.”