Bhubaneswar, 12 March (H.S.): Ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress party has issued a whip to its MLAs in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, directing them to remain present in Bhubaneswar until March 16 amid concerns over possible cross-voting.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das has instructed all Congress legislators to stay in the state capital and actively participate in the election process. The directive aims to ensure party discipline and prevent any cross-voting during the crucial polls.

The move comes as the party seeks to safeguard its interests in what is expected to be a closely contested Rajya Sabha election for four seats from Odisha.

A total of five candidates are in the fray. The Biju Janata Dal has fielded Santrupt Misra, while Dr. Datteswar Hota has been nominated as a common candidate supported by the BJD, Congress, and Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, while Independent candidate Dilip Ray is contesting with the backing of the BJP.

Notably, the election is set to witness a rare contest after more than a decade, as most previous Rajya Sabha polls in the state were uncontested.

Voting for the Rajya Sabha seats will take place on March 16 at the Assembly premises from 9 am to 4 pm, with the counting of votes scheduled to begin at 5 pm on the same day.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda