Bhubaneswar, March 16 (NationPress) Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, expressed on Monday that the success of BJP and its supported candidates in the Rajya Sabha biennial elections is a testament to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also took aim at Leader of the Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, for his comments regarding alleged cross-voting by lawmakers.

In a backdrop of claims surrounding cross-voting by MLAs from opposing factions, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, senior party leader Sujeet Kumar, BJP-supported candidate Dilip Ray, and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Santrupt Misra emerged victorious in the Rajya Sabha biennial elections conducted in the state on Monday.

On the other hand, the joint candidate put forth by the BJD and the Indian National Congress (INC), Dr Datteshwar Hota, was outperformed by veteran politician Dilip Ray, who ran as an independent candidate backed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In response to this electoral outcome, the Chief Minister remarked that this victory signifies a pivotal moment for the state.

“Today marks a historic day for Odisha. The resounding success of BJP and its supported candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections is not merely a party triumph but also a reflection of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong leadership and visionary direction,” Majhi stated.

He further mentioned that the election of the three candidates would bolster Odisha’s representation in the Upper House.

“Our newly elected MPs — Manmohan Samal, Sujeet Kumar, and Dilip Ray — will protect the interests of Odisha in the Rajya Sabha and strive to establish the state as a significant contributor to Prime Minister Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and a ‘Samruddha Odisha’,” he articulated.

Majhi also condemned the earlier comments made by Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik, who allegedly labeled MLAs voting based on their conscience as having a “criminal background.”

“The statements made by the Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik, suggesting that MLAs who voted according to their conscience are criminals, are regrettable and disrespectful to the essence of democracy,” Majhi asserted.

He added that such remarks were unexpected from someone who has held the Chief Minister’s office for an extended period.

“To label those MLAs as ‘criminals’ who voted prioritizing the welfare of their constituencies and the advancement of the state is an affront to the thousands of voters who chose them,” he emphasized.

In a critique aimed at the former Chief Minister, Majhi questioned why Patnaik had campaigned for those MLAs during elections if he held the belief that they had a criminal past.

Meanwhile, opposition factions alleged that 11 legislators — eight from the BJD and three from Congress — purportedly voted against the directives of their respective party whips during the Rajya Sabha elections.