Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], March 14 (ANI): Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik on Saturday held a meeting with party leaders in Bhubaneswar to discuss the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Patnaik raised concerns about alleged horse trading for the Rajya Sabha polls.

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Speaking to the media, Patnaik said, "Our party MLAs and all of us have just had a meeting with the concerned officers about the process of the elections for the upcoming Rajya Sabha. The BJP and their three Rajya Sabha candidates are all trying their best to engage in horse trading, which is an offence to win this democratic election."

On Thursday, Patnaik issued a three-line whip to all party MLAs, directing them to remain in attendance in party meetings in Bhubaneswar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

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Legislators were asked to ensure their mandatory presence at Naveen Nivas for the presentation and training programme on March 13 and 14.

This meeting serves as a preparation ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on Monday.

Earlier, the BJD announced Santrupt Misra as its candidate, and the BJP has nominated Odisha party chief Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

The polling for the biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm.

The term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. (ANI)

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