Bhubaneswar, Feb 28: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik has put an end to speculation surrounding the Rajya Sabha elections by announcing two candidates from the party. The announcement comes amid intense political discussions over nominations from Odisha.

Senior BJD leader Santapta Mishra has been named as the party’s official candidate for one of the seats. Meanwhile, Dr. Datteshwar Hota has been nominated as a common candidate for another seat, with the party appealing to other political groups to extend support.

Speaking on the announcement, Naveen Patnaik described Santapta Mishra as the party’s nominee while presenting Dr. Hota as a consensus candidate. Mishra currently serves as Patnaik’s political secretary and had earlier contested as a Lok Sabha candidate from Cuttack.

Dr. Datteshwar Hota is a noted medical professional who previously served as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Odisha University of Health Sciences. He has also worked in the urology department at Capital Hospital and played a key role in the state’s air medical response team.

The Rajya Sabha elections have intensified political activity in Odisha, with BJD, BJP, and Congress closely strategizing for the upcoming polls. Four Rajya Sabha seats from the Odisha quota are set to fall vacant, triggering competition among major parties.

According to the official schedule, the last date for filing nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. Candidates can withdraw nominations until March 9. Voting is scheduled for March 16 from 9 AM to 4 PM, with counting to take place later the same day.