New Delhi: In March 2002, former Biju Janata Dal chief Dilip Ray stunned many by profitable the Rajya Sabha polls as an impartial, thanks to fifteen BJD and 6 Bharatiya Janata Get together members voting in opposition to him. His victory was an enormous blow to the then Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Twenty-four years later, the hotelier-turned-politician did it once more earlier this week, due to a destructive vote from the Congress and BJD.
His victory as an impartial celebration highlights “the weak point of the BJD as soon as once more,” say political watchers. They level out that Ray has dealt one other blow to his former ally Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik after 24 years.
Ray, who was as soon as counted as certainly one of Naveen’s closest aides, wrote an essay saying that he performed a key position within the institution of the BJD in 1997. Ray is believed to be near Naveen Patnaik’s father Biju Patnaik, and BJD sources say that Ray took care of Biju Patnaik in his later years.
“Throughout Biju Patnaik’s sickness, he nursed him at his residence in Delhi. In reality, Biju Patnaik handed away at his residence. He was somebody Biju Patnaik had nice religion in. He’s extremely revered within the state and amongst Biju Patnaik’s supporters,” a senior BJD official stated.
The previous Union Minister served as Prime Minister of India for 2 consecutive phrases beginning in 1996. In 2002, he filed his candidacy as an impartial after the Prime Minister of India denied him the fitting to vote for Prime Minister of India. Later, the BJD expelled him after he launched the ‘Eliminate Naveen Patnaik’ marketing campaign. Nonetheless, he returned after the BJP supported his RS candidacy.
The founder and proprietor of Mayfair Motels & Resorts joined the Bharatiya Janata Get together in 2009 and had a short stint with the celebration in 2014 when he gained the Lurkula meeting seat on the Bharatiya Janata Get together ticket.
On Monday, he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Residence Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Get together president Nitin Navin and Odisha Chief Minister Charan Majhi for his or her “assist and belief”.
“I’m deeply humbled and grateful. At present’s victory in Odisha’s Rajya Sabha elections is just not mine alone. It displays the belief and goodwill proven by members of the Legislative Meeting throughout political affiliations. I sincerely thank the members of the Bharatiya Janata Get together for his or her steadfast assist. I’m equally grateful to the BJD, Congress and impartial MLAs who’ve chosen to increase their assist,” he wrote to X.
I’m full of deep emotions of humility and gratitude.
At present’s victory within the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha is just not resulting from my efforts alone. This displays the belief and goodwill proven by Ministers within the Legislative Meeting, throughout political strains.
I want to categorical my honest gratitude to all members of the Bharatiya Janata Get together.
— Dilip Ray (@DilipRayOdisha) March 16, 2026
In 2002, the previous Union minister within the Atal Bihari Vajpayee authorities was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha due to a destructive vote from the ruling BJD, however this time he had assist from the Congress and the BJD.
In 2002, the parliament fielded Maurice Coujour, however he was finally defeated. Media stories on the time stated that Ray’s victory was a “large blow for Naveen Patnaik” and that he had accomplished every part in his energy to thwart his candidacy.
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take a practice
“When Naveen began consolidating his place as BJD chief, he began removing potential rivals and shortly the ax fell on Dilip. Naveen received Vajpayee faraway from the Union Ministry. He managed to change into an impartial Rajya Sabha member in 2002 due to a destructive vote,” stated senior journalist Ruben Banerjee, creator of the guide. “Naveen Patnaik”.
Ray, who began his political profession in 1985 because the then chairman of the Rourkula Notification Council, was elected MLA from Rourkula in 1985. He was re-elected in 1990 and likewise served as Industries Minister in Biju Patnaik’s Janata Dal authorities from 1990 to 1995.
He then confronted a setback when a CBI court docket convicted him in October 2020 in a 1999 coal block allotment case whereas he was coal minister within the Vajpayee authorities. He was sentenced to a few years in jail, however the Delhi Excessive Courtroom stayed the conviction till April 2024.
“In reality, I keep in mind that earlier than the Rajya Sabha polls, he was saved underneath Naveen Patnaik’s surveillance. He took a practice from Bhubaneswar to Delhi and the police had been watching him. As quickly as he boarded the practice and the practice began, the police had been additionally there. The cops had no concept that Dilip would pull the practice at such excessive pace. On the subsequent Cuttack station, he received off from the aspect of the tracks and sneaked again.” Bhubaneswar needed to management the variety of RSs,” Banerjee stated.
“The 2026 Rajya Sabha elections are like a déjà vu second. Not solely is he wealthy and a profitable hotelier, however he additionally holds a excessive profile in Odisha, particularly due to what he did for Biju Patnaik in his later years. He’s in any other case a reserved individual, a person of few phrases and nobody is aware of what he’s as much as.”
Within the coal allotment case, the CBI had initially performed a preliminary investigation into the allotment of 105.153 hectares of non-nationalized deserted coal mining space in Giridih district of Jharkhand.
It then indicted Mr. Ray and 5 different accused underneath Sections 120-B (conspiracy) and 420 (dishonest) of the previous Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Ray had moved the Delhi Excessive Courtroom in 2024 searching for quashing of his conviction resulting from his intention to contest the 2024 Odisha elections. His attraction of the conviction continues to be pending.
He advised the court docket he would undergo “irreparable and irreparable hurt” if the conviction continued. Certainly, a sentence of two years or extra precludes participation in elections at any degree.
The sentence was suspended till April 2024, however Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma stated the order didn’t lead to an “acquittal” resulting from “the particular circumstances of the case, together with the defendant’s lengthy political profession and age”, however was restricted to “merely suspending the sentence of conviction”.
SNSahu, who served as Particular Secretary and Press Secretary to former President Kurunarayanan, stated there was large dissatisfaction with the BJP authorities in Odisha and therefore he needed to create a nationwide narrative by guaranteeing the defeat of the BJD candidate and exhibiting how Patnaik’s recognition had eroded.
“Congress Chief Minister Bhakta Charan Das sought a gathering with Naveen Patnaik to debate a standard candidate even earlier than the dates had been introduced. However Patnaik didn’t give him time and Das once more requested to provide him time inside per week. However the deadline handed. He (Naveen Patnaik) unilaterally declared a health care provider (Dattaswar Hota) because the fourth frequent candidate. He then requested the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Get together to vote for him. It felt like an imposition. By BJD,” Sahu added.
“Dilip Ray was convicted within the coal rip-off and his conviction is pending. It was anticipated that he may not have the assist of the Congress. Ray’s return won’t solely be a lift for his political profession but additionally for the Bharatiya Janata Get together. India The Bharatiya Janata Get together needs to show the purpose that Mr. Patnaik won’t succeed within the face of the Bharatiya Janata Get together’s electoral technique.
The previous civil servant stated there was nice dissatisfaction with the BJP authorities, including that it needed to create a sure scenario and narrative by guaranteeing the defeat of the BJD candidate and guaranteeing that Patnaik’s recognition was declining.
“Naveen Patnaik stays well-liked among the many folks and this sort of technique adopted by the Bharatiya Janata Get together and the federal government has not prompted any deterioration in his picture,” Sahu defined.
(Edited by Tony Lai)
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