Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced the names of BJD candidates for the March 26 elections to the four Rajya Sabha seats from the state.

Naveen announced the names of Muna Khan, at present heading the BJD’s minority cell and advisor, minority affairs; Subash Singh, chairman of the Odisha Construction Workers Welfare Board; Sujit Kumar, adviser to the State Development Council and Mamata Mahanta, head of the party’s women wing of Mayurbhanj district and for the upper House polls.

Following his support to the CAA, Naveen’s credential as a secular leader was questioned. Members of the minority community across the state had organised several rallies in the state and also met the chief minister to express their concern over the issue.

His invitation to Union home minister Amit Shah to his house for a lunch when the latter had come to attend the eastern zonal council meeting in Bhubaneswar, had been questioned by many.

Sources said in order to dispel fear among the minority community that his support to the CAA should not be misconstrued, Naveen decided to send Muna Khan to the Rajya Sabha.

Four of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha will fall vacant next month.

after the completion of the tenure of three BJD MPs — Anubhav Mohanty, Narendra Kumar Swain and Sarojini Hembram — and Congress member Ranjib Biswal, the former chairman of IPL.

Following the announcement of his name, Muna Khan told reporters: “I am indebted to my leaders. I am in the party starting from Janata Dal and in Biju Janata Dal for the past 30 years. At last, my contribution to the party has been rewarded.”

Going by its strength in the Assembly, the ruling BJD is set to win three seats comfortably. Even as the party has no absolute majority for the fourth candidate, Naveen maintained they would manage to grab all the four seats. The BJP and Congress don’t have the required strength to win the fourth seat. If the Congress abstains from voting, the BJD will win the fourth seat comfortably.