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 ensuing Rajya Sabha elections.
“There is horse-trading going on, with BJP leaders and their three Rajya Sabha candidates trying their best to secure votes through such means, which, as you know, is an offence to win a democratic election,” Mr. Patnaik alleged.
Echoing the charge, senior Arun Sahoo, a BJD MLA and former minister, said a party lacking adequate numbers should not be claiming victory.
“One party does not have the numbers to win the election. Yet, despite that, it has fielded candidates and is backing them while claiming they will win. This clearly points towards horse-trading, which is far removed from ideology and ethics,” Mr. Sahoo said.
Another BJD legislator, Byomkesh Ray, alleged that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi himself was involved in contacting MLAs.
“He is personally calling MLAs separately and making 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 reach 30 votes? Without horse-trading, there is no possibility of their winning.”
In the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly, the BJP has 79 MLAs and also enjoys the support of three Independents. The principal Opposition party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has 50 MLAs, but its strength has effectively come down to 48 after the party suspended Aravind Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud over alleged anti-party activities. The two MLAs have not yet pledged support to any candidate.
The Congress has 14 MLAs, while the lone MLA of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has announced support for the common Opposition candidate.
Each candidate requires the backing of 30 MLAs to secure victory. Going by the numbers, the BJD and Congress together can comfortably ensure the election of their common candidate. The BJP, however, falls short of the numbers required to guarantee the victory of Dilip Ray, the saffron party-backed candidate.
Meanwhile, all political parties are conducting mock-poll training for their MLAs to ensure that their votes are not rejected. A group of Congress MLAs has already left for Bengaluru, reportedly to avoid possible attempts by rival parties to contact them.
Published – March 15, 2026 05:14 am IST
