The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced a schedule for by-elections to be held for three Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha, two in Gujarat and one in Bihar. A notification for the by-elections would be issued on June 18 from which date the filing of nominations will begin and continue till June 25. The by-polls will be held in the State Assemblies on July 5.
A total of four RS seats have been vacant in Odisha due to resignation of Pratap Kesari Deb, Anubhav Mohanty, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Achyuta Samanta after their wins in the recently-held Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
While Samanta and Mohanty won the Kandhamal and Kendrapada Lok Sabha seats, respectively, Patnaik was elected to the State Assembly from the Khandapada seat in Nayagarh district.
As Mohanty’s tenure was left with about a year, by-election to his seat has not been announced by the ECI.
While Patnaik and Samanta had about five years left in their tenure, Deb had about three years.
In view of the BJD’s strength of 111 members in the State Assembly, it may not be difficult for the party to send three of its leaders to the Rajya Sabha this time.