Naveen Patnaik to Finalize Rajya Sabha Candidate Today

Bhubaneswar, Feb 27: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has convened a crucial meeting of its MLAs at Naveen Niwas this evening, where party president Naveen Patnaik will finalise strategies for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

The session follows Thursday’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting, which laid the groundwork for candidate selection.

Party insiders suggest the MLAs are likely to endorse the PAC’s resolutions unanimously.

With the nomination deadline extended until March 5 due to Dola‑Holi holidays, the BJD is ensuring its candidates face no procedural hurdles.

Speculation intensified earlier today when BJD MP Sasmit Patra collected six sets of nomination forms, raising the possibility of a second candidate.

However, sources clarified this was a precautionary step to secure proposer signatures.

Electoral arithmetic favours the BJD, comfortably securing one seat with its 48 MLAs, while the BJP, backed by 82 MLAs, including independents, is poised to claim two seats.

The BJD is expected to maintain its policy of equidistance from both the BJP andthe  Congress, reinforcing its neutral stance in national politics.