RS Polls: CPI to support Mohapatra, BJP yet to decide

The CPI today announced that its lone MLA in Odisha would vote for BJD-backed Raghunath Mohapatra while the BJP was yet to decide on the role of their six legislators in the Rajya Sabha elections on Friday.
"The party has taken a decision to support master sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra in the Rajya Sabha polls," CPI state secretary Dibakar Nayak said.
With CPI's announcement, Mohapatra is now confident of at least 20 first preference votes including 18 from the ruling BJD and one from Independent MLA Rajendra Sahu.
As a candidate requires the first preference vote of 30 MLAs in the House of 147 members of Odisha Assembly, Mohapatra is short of 10 votes.

"I have appealed to the state unit of BJP to support me. They have six votes along with the support of Independent MLA Pratap Sarangi," Mohapatra told reporters, adding he was optimistic of getting the support of the saffron party.
Meanwhile, the BJP Legislture Party has left the decision to the BJP's Parliamentary Board. "We are hopeful that the Parliamentary Board will take a decision and inform us before the polling for the Rajya Sabha elections on February 7," BJP state president K V Snghdeo, also an MLA said.

If Mohapatra gets the support of BJP MLAs, along with party-supported Independent MLA Sarangi, his total tally will increase to 27.

Mohapatra's rival Congress candidate and IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal already has support of 27 party MLAs and support of Independent MLA Braja Pradhan. Therefore, Biswal's total support figure mounts to 28, still short of two votes.
Two other independent MLAs - Jitu Patnaik and George Tirkey - are yet to open their strategy. Both of them have told reporters that they would take a decision at the last moment while suspended BJP MLA Bhimsen Choudhury has made it clear that he wants to go by his conscience and not by the party's decision.
For the three other seats, it is set to be smooth sailing for BJD's legislators Kalpataru Das, A U Singhdeo and Sarojini Hembram.