Bhubaneswar: The filing of nominations for the upcoming bypolls to six Rajya Sabha seats, including one from Odisha, officially began on Tuesday, following the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) formal notification. The ECI had previously announced the election schedule, with the last date for submission of nominations set for December 10. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on December 11, and candidates have until December 13 to withdraw their nominations. Voting for the bypolls is scheduled for December 20, from 9 am to 4 pm, with the vote counting set for 5 pm the same day.
In Odisha, the bypoll has been triggered by the resignation of Sujeet Kumar from the Rajya Sabha on September 6, 2024. Sujeet, who had joined the BJP after being expelled by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for alleged anti-party activities, was elected to the Rajya Sabha on April 3, 2020, with his term originally set to end on April 2, 2026. Sujeet Kumar was once considered close to Naveen Patnaik. However, his resignation from the BJD and subsequent move to the BJP has led to significant political discussions. BJP MP Mamata Mahant recently added fuel to the fire by suggesting that growing dissatisfaction within BJD ranks could lead to more defections in the future, hinting at new political alignments.
With the BJP holding a majority of 78 MLAs in the 147 member Odisha Legislative Assembly, the vacant Rajya Sabha seat is widely expected to be secured by the BJP.
