THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Ranchi, March 16: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a major victory in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections, winning all five seats in Bihar and three of the four seats in Odisha, with cross-voting by opposition MLAs playing a decisive role.
NDA Sweeps Bihar Seats
In Bihar, the NDA candidates Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, Upendra Kushwaha, Ramnath Thakur and Shivesh Kumar secured victory.
- Nitish Kumar – 44 votes
- Nitin Nabin – 44 votes
- Upendra Kushwaha – 42 votes
- Ramnath Thakur – 42 votes
In the most closely watched contest, BJP candidate Shivesh Kumar defeated RJD candidate A.D. Singh through second-preference votes.
A.D. Singh secured 37 first-preference votes, while Shivesh Kumar got 30, but the BJP candidate overtook him after counting second-preference votes.
The opposition Mahagathbandhan suffered a setback as four MLAs — three from Congress and one from RJD — remained absent during voting.
Sources said that if those MLAs had voted, the opposition might have been able to secure one seat.
Cross-Voting Helps BJP in Odisha
In Odisha, the Rajya Sabha elections for four seats witnessed intense political activity and cross-voting.
The results were:
- Manmohan Samal (BJP) – Won
- Sujeet Kumar (BJP) – Re-elected
- Dillip Ray (Independent backed by BJP) – Won
- Santrupt Mishra (BJD) – Won
With Dillip Ray’s victory as an independent backed by the BJP, the party effectively secured three of the four seats.
Dillip Ray Wins Tight Contest
Former Union Minister Dillip Ray defeated Datteswar Hota, the joint opposition candidate supported by BJD, Congress and CPI(M).
Ray’s victory was largely attributed to cross-voting by several MLAs from BJD and Congress.
Reports suggest that around eight BJD MLAs may have voted in Ray’s favour.
Among those reportedly backing Ray were:
- Debi Ranjan Tripathy
- Souvic Biswal
- Chakramani Kanhar
- Subasini Jena
- Naba Kishor Mallick
- Ramakant Bhoi
- Suspended MLAs Arabinda Mohapatra and Sanatan Mahakud
Some Congress MLAs, including Sofia Firdous, Dasarathi Gamang and Ramesh Chandra Jena, were also reported to have supported Ray.
Opposition Faces Internal Rifts
The cross-voting has exposed internal divisions within both BJD and Congress.
Despite efforts by BJD chief Naveen Patnaik and Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das to maintain party unity, several MLAs reportedly broke ranks during voting.
The elections also witnessed a brief halt in voting due to a ballot paper dispute, adding to the political drama.