The Odisha Rajya Sabha elections, held on March 16, 2026, ended in a big success for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its sponsored candidates, who secured three of four seats despite suspicions of cross-voting and horse-trading.
BJP state president Manmohan Samal, sitting MP Sujit Kumar, and BJP-backed Independent Dilip Ray were elected, with BJD candidate Santrupt Misra taking the last seat. The outcome reflected cross-voting by numerous opposition MLAs (including from the BJD and the Congress), allowing the BJP to sweep three seats.Following the results, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi issued a forceful statement hailing the victory as a reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and a move toward a "developed Odisha" and "Viksit Bharat." He complimented the freshly elected members—Manmohan Samal, Sujit Kumar, and Dilip Ray—for their pledge to protect Odisha's interests in the Rajya Sabha and push the Modi government's agenda.
Majhi harshly criticized former Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik (now Leader of Opposition) for referring to cross-voting MLAs as having "criminal backgrounds" and indicating that their "fathers were in jail." Majhi condemned Patnaik's words as immature, sad, and an attack on democracy, claiming that they insulted not only the MLAs but also the thousands of voters who elected them.

He emphasized that elected legislators are answerable to the Constitution and their constituents, not any individual leader, and cited internal flaws inside the BJD, such as a lack of internal democracy, as the source of such defections.
Majhi further pointed out the irony in Patnaik's comments, noting that the same MLAs were once assets to the BJD, having been promoted by Patnaik himself while in his party. He condemned the post-defeat remarks as regretful and symptomatic of despair, claiming that public support for the BJP government will propel Odisha's development forward.
In response, BJD spokesperson Dr. Lenin Mohanty supported Patnaik, claiming that Majhi misinterpreted or failed to understand Patnaik's thesis.Mohanty maintained suspicions of horse-trading, alleging that the events had embarrassed Odisha and supported Patnaik's previous accusations.
The exchange highlights Odisha's widening political schism in the wake of the BJP's election victory.