Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. File. | Photo credit: ANI
Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday (March 14, 2026) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its three candidates of indulging in horse-trading ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
“Horse trading is going on, BJP leaders and their three Rajya Sabha candidates are trying their best to secure votes through such means, which as you know is an insult to win a democratic election,” Mr. Patnaik said.
Senior Arun Sahoo, BJD MLA and former minister, echoed the allegation and said a party that does not have sufficient numbers should not claim victory.
“One party does not have the numbers to win elections. Despite that, it has fielded candidates and is supporting them while claiming they will win. This clearly shows horse-trading which is far removed from ideology and ethics,” Sahoo said.
Another BJD legislator, Byomkesh Ray, alleged that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi himself was involved in contacting MLAs.
“He personally calls MLAs separately and makes deals at his official residence. This is a matter of concern and shame. As Chief Minister, he should not be involved in horse-trading,” Mr Ray alleged.
Questioning the BJP’s prospects, Mr. Ray said, “They have 22 votes and we have 35. How will they get 30 votes? Without horse-trading, there is no possibility of them winning.”
In the 147-member Odisha legislature, the BJP has 79 MLAs and also enjoys the support of three independents. The main opposition party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has 50 MLAs, but its strength has effectively dropped to 48 after the party suspended Aravind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud for alleged anti-party activities. Both the MLAs have not pledged their support to any candidate yet.
The Congress has 14 MLAs, while a single Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA has announced support for the joint opposition candidate.
Each candidate requires the support of 30 MLAs to ensure victory. In terms of numbers, BJD and Congress can comfortably secure the election of their common candidate. However, the BJP falls short of the numbers needed to guarantee a victory for Dilip Ray, the candidate backed by the saffron party.
Meanwhile, all political parties are conducting mock polls for their MLAs to ensure that their votes are not rejected. A group of Congress MLAs have already left for Bengaluru, reportedly to avoid possible attempts by rival parties to contact them.
Published – 15 March 2026 05:14 IST
