Bhubaneswar: BJP leader Sujeet Kumar has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, as announced by the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday. Kumar secured the lone vacant seat without contest after filing his nomination on December 9.
Sujeet Kumar, who previously served as a Rajya Sabha member representing the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), resigned from the Upper House and the regional party in September this year. Following his departure from the BJD, he joined the BJP, which nominated him for the vacant seat. The vacancy arose after his own resignation earlier this year.
The Odisha Assembly confirmed Kumar’s unopposed election as no other candidate filed a nomination for the seat. While polling was initially scheduled for December 20, the election concluded without the need for voting due to the absence of opposition.
This marks a significant political shift for Kumar, who had been elected to the Rajya Sabha under the BJD banner in 2020 but has now aligned himself with the BJP.
It is notable that Kumar’s election follows a similar political transition earlier this year. On July 31, former Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mohanta resigned from both the Upper House and the BJD. She subsequently joined the BJP and was nominated for a Rajya Sabha seat. Like Kumar, Mohanta was elected unopposed on September 3.
These developments highlight the BJP’s strategic focus on strengthening its representation in Odisha through key political realignments.
