Bhubaneswar, March 16 Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated the BJP's Rajya Sabha election candidates and the independent candidate supported by the party on Monday, even though the official announcement has not yet been made.
Manmohan Samal, the president of the BJP's Odisha unit, and its sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar are the official candidates, while the party-backed former Union minister Dilip Ray contested the elections as an independent.
In a post on X, Majhi said, "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Shri @SamalManmohan7 Ji, the party's state president, who emerged victorious as a candidate representing the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha elections, and to Shri @SujeetKOfficial Ji and Shri @DilipRayOdisha Ji, the party's senior leader and the party-supported independent candidate, respectively."
Majhi said that this victory marks an important milestone in fulfilling the resolve to build a 'Viksit Odisha' under the BJP government.
"Their presence in the upper house of Parliament will further strengthen the voice of Odisha's interests, progress, and public service at the national level," the chief minister said.
The BJD nominees are party leader Santrupt Misra and eminent urologist Dr Datteswar Hota, whom the Congress and the CPI(M) are supporting.
At least five MLAs from the opposition BJD and Congress reportedly voted in favour of the BJP-supported independent nominee Dilip Ray in the Rajya Sabha elections, for which the voting ended at 6 pm.
The results of the polls have not yet been officially announced.