After the notification for filing nominations papers for Rajya Sabha polls was made Monday, political parties in the state have geared up to field their candidates for the three seats that are going to fall vacant on July 1.
The BJD, which is sure of sending at least two members to the Upper House, is bidding to wrest the third one with the support of its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Independents. Despite having no adequate strength, the main Opposition Congress — with only 27 seats — is making a desperate bid to send a party member of “like-minded” independent candidate to Rajya Sabha.
Ms Munda’s name was doing the rounds in political circles as the BJD candidate. The BJD has 103 legislators in 147-member Orissa legislative Assembly. Besid-es, its ally NCP has got four. It can also win the third seat with the support of its ally NCP which has got four seats. State NCP president Prashant Nanda on Tuesday declared that his party would support the BJD candidate.
“We have consulted with the national leaders of our party and they have suggested us to support the ruling BJD candidates,” Mr Nanda told in a press note.
Besides NCP, the lone member of CPI and a section of the six independent members might back the BJD supported third candidate.
Congress working president Lalatendu Vidyadhar Mohapatra said the party was examining the possibility of choosing its own candidate and in case it did not field its own member, it would back an independent.