Bhubaneswar, Feb 13 (PTI) Amid suspense over Odisha’s third candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on February 27, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s scheduled visit to the state capital on Wednesday has sparked speculations on the repeat of the 2019 understanding between the ruling BJD and opposition BJP.
According to official sources, Vaishnaw will be arriving here on a two-day visit on Wednesday. He is scheduled to visit party headquarters and review railway and BSNL projects on February 14 and attend several local programmes the following day.
However, his visit assumes significance as Vaishnaw’s tenure as a Rajya Sabha member from Odisha ends in April this year. Though he belonged to BJP, Vaishnaw was elected to the Upper House of Parliament from Odisha on BJD support in 2019.
BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced his party’s support to Vaishnaw after a request from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in 2019.
Though BJD has the required strength to win all three vacant RS seats, Patnaik has nominated two party candidates for two posts while suspense continues over the candidature for the third seat.
It is speculated that Patnaik might leave the third seat for BJP candidate Vaishnaw. However, there was no confirmation either from the BJD or the BJP in this regard.
There was no word from the BJP on whether it would field any candidate in the RS polls. As BJP has only 22 MLAs in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, its candidate cannot win the polls on his own.
A candidate requires at least 37 votes to win one RS seat in Odisha. Therefore, a BJP candidate would need the support of the BJD.
BJP spokesperson Biranchi Tripathy said he has no information regarding Vaishnaw’s candidature and BJD’s possible support for him in the RS polls.
Two BJD candidates Debashish Samantray and Subhasish Kuntia have already filed their nomination papers on Tuesday and their election to the Upper House of Parliament is a foregone conclusion.
Odisha’s three Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant as Vaishnaw, Amar Patnaik and Prashanta Nanda are due to retire from the Upper House in April this year.
According to official notification, the last date for filing of nomination is February 15 and the last date for withdrawal is February 20.
The polling will be held on February 27 between 9 am and 4 pm. The counting of votes will be conducted at 5 pm the same day.
As per the present strength in the Odisha Assembly, BJD has 109 MLAs (four expelled from the party), BJP has 22 members and nine lawmakers belong to the Congress. The House has one Independent MLA and a MLA from CPI(M).
In the 147-member assembly, one seat is vacant following the death of BJD MLA Surjya N Patro. PTI AAM NN
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