Bhubaneswar, March,07,2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with BJP MLAs in Odisha ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16. The discussion focused on organisational matters and election strategy for the party’s candidates.
The meeting took place during Amit Shah’s day-long visit to Odisha on March 6, 2026. He visited the BJP state headquarters in Bhubaneswar and interacted with Chief Minister, party MLAs, MPs, ministers, and candidates contesting the Rajya Sabha polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal and MP Sujeet Kumar as its candidates for the elections. The party has also extended support to former Union Minister Dilip Ray, who is contesting as an Independent candidate.
According to party leaders, discussions during the meeting also covered preparations for the Rajya Sabha election. BJP MP from Bargarh Pradip Purohit said MLAs who will participate in the March 16 voting were asked to ensure the victory of all three candidates backed by the party.
Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said Amit Shah discussed organisational matters with party leaders during the meeting.
BJP spokesperson Surath Biswal said the Home Minister also shared suggestions on the party’s approach to the Rajya Sabha elections. He described Shah as one of the party’s key election strategists.
The Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha will be held for four seats. The terms of current members Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan of the Biju Janata Dal, and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta of the BJP, will end on April 2.
Under the election arithmetic of the Odisha Assembly, a candidate requires at least 30 first preference votes to secure a seat in the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP currently has 79 MLAs in the Assembly and support from three Independent members, taking its total to 82. This number is eight short of the requirement needed to elect three candidates to the Upper House.
The BJD holds 48 MLAs after two members were suspended last month. After securing one seat, the party would still need additional votes to win another.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik has fielded urologist Dr Datteswar Hota as a common candidate for the fourth seat and appealed to all parties for support. The Congress and CPI M have backed Hota, while the BJP is supporting Dilip Ray.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Assembly secretariat confirmed that the nomination papers of all five candidates contesting the Rajya Sabha elections were found valid during scrutiny on Friday.
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