Bhubaneswar, Mar 9: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Minister of State for Rural Development in Maharashtra, as the central observer for Odisha in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, senior party leaders said on Monday.

According to a press release issued by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, party president Nitin Nabin finalized the appointments of observers for Odisha, Bihar, and Haryana. These observers will supervise party coordination and oversee election-related activities during the biennial polls.

In Odisha, five candidates remain in the fray for four Rajya Sabha seats after the withdrawal period ended.

The BJP has fielded its state president Manmohan Samal and outgoing MP Sujeet Kumar, while also extending support to former Union Minister Dilip Ray, who filed nomination papers as an Independent.

The BJD has nominated senior leader Santrupt Misra and renowned urologist Dr. Datteswar Hota, who is also backed by the Congress and CPI(M).

Four Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant on April 2 following the retirement of BJD’s Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan, and BJP’s Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta.

Also Read: Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal, MP Sujit Kumar and Dilip Ray File Rajya Sabha Nominations

Based on Assembly numbers, BJP is assured of two seats, while BJD is certain of one. The fourth seat is expected to hinge on alliances and cross-party support, making the contest particularly significant for Odisha’s representation in the Upper House.

For Haryana, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi has been appointed as observer, while in Bihar, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and Union Minister Harsh Malhotra will serve as central observers.

The Election Commission of India has scheduled voting for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across several states, including Odisha, on March 16, with the overall process concluding on March 20.