Odisha's Rajya Sabha By-Election Set for June 18 After Samantaray's Resignation

The Election Commission has declared that the by-election for the Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha, formerly occupied by Debashish Samantaray, will occur on June 18. This follows Samantaray's recent resignation and his switch from the BJD to the BJP.

The official notification for the by-election is set to be issued on June 1, with June 8 being the last day to submit nominations. The scrutiny period is scheduled for June 9, and candidates have until June 11 to withdraw their candidacies. If multiple candidates contest, voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm on June 18, followed by vote counting at 5 pm the same day.

Suresh Pujari, a senior BJP leader, mentioned that the party's parliamentary board would soon decide on the by-election candidate, hinting that Samantaray's name might be considered, referencing prior cases like Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta.

Samantaray's departure reduces the BJD's representation in the Rajya Sabha to five members. In contrast, the BJP, along with Independent MP Dilip Ray, currently has three representatives from Odisha in the Upper House.

(With inputs from agencies.)