Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the nomination filing ceremony of Devashish Samantaray, the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election, at the Odisha Legislative Assembly premises on Friday, June 5, 2026. Majhi extended his congratulations and best wishes to Samantaray on the occasion.

Context

Writing in Odia, CM Majhi stated: 'ଆଜି ଓଡ଼ିଶା ବିଧାନସଭା ପରିସରରେ ଆଗାମୀ ରାଜ୍ୟସଭା ନିର୍ବାଚନ ପାଇଁ ଭାରତୀୟ ଜନତା ପାର୍ଟିର ପ୍ରାର୍ଥୀ ଭାବେ ଶ୍ରୀ ଦେବାଶିଷ ସାମନ୍ତରାୟ ନାମାଙ୍କନ ପତ୍ର ଦାଖଲ କଲେ' ['Today at the Odisha Legislative Assembly premises, Shri Devashish Samantaray filed his nomination papers as the BJP candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election']. Senior party leaders were present to mark the occasion, signalling united organisational backing for the candidate.

Also present at the nomination filing were Odisha BJP State President Manmohan Samal, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and other senior party leaders. The show of strength at the assembly underscored the party's coordinated approach to consolidating its parliamentary representation from the state.

Policy Backdrop

Rajya Sabha biennial elections are a constitutional mechanism through which members of India's upper house of Parliament are elected by elected legislators of state assemblies. The composition of the Rajya Sabha from any state is therefore directly linked to the party's strength on the assembly floor.

The BJP formed the government in Odisha for the first time following its decisive victory in the 2024 state assembly elections, ending Biju Janata Dal's long run in power. With a working majority in the assembly, the party is well-positioned to elect its nominee to the Rajya Sabha without requiring cross-party support.

Stakeholders and Impact

The nomination of Devashish Samantaray reflects the BJP's intent to strengthen its numbers in the upper house, where it has historically been at a disadvantage relative to its Lok Sabha strength. Sending a party loyalist from a newly won state like Odisha adds to the BJP's broader parliamentary arithmetic.

For Odisha, the election marks another step in the BJP's post-2024 consolidation, as the state government works to align both legislative and parliamentary representation under the party's umbrella. State legislators from the ruling alliance are expected to vote in favour of Samantaray when the election is formally held.

What's Next

The formal Rajya Sabha election will be conducted through a vote by members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on a date to be notified by the Election Commission of India. With the BJP holding a majority in the assembly, Samantaray's election is widely anticipated. The result will directly affect the party's seat count in Parliament's upper house.