The BJP on Tuesday named Mamata Mohanta its candidate from Odisha for the Rajya Sabha bypoll.
The seat remained vacant following Mohanta’s resignation 18 months ahead of the completion of her six-year tenure in the Upper House. She was elected to the Rajya
Sabha on the BJD ticket in 2020 and resigned on July 31. She joined the BJP at the party headquarters in Delhi within 24 hours of submitting her resignation
Mohanta, who hails from Mayurbhanj, surprised everyone when she stepped down from the Upper House and the BJD. The BJD leaders learned about it only after Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed them about her resignation from the BJD and announced it in the Rajya Sabha.
The total representation in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha is 10. Now the regional party BJD has eight MPs. The BJP has only one — railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw — whose candidature for the second time in a row was backed by the BJD. The BJP can easily win the seat vacated by Mahanta as it has 78 MLAs in the 147-member strong Assembly.
