Bhubaneswar, March 3 -- Senior leader Dilip Ray declared on Tuesday that he will contest the Rajya Sabha election as an independent candidate. Speaking over the phone to OTV, Ray confirmed his decision and stated that he would file his nomination on March 5.

Ray said discussions have already been held with both Central and State leadership before taking the step. His entry has intensified the contest for the crucial fourth Rajya Sabha seat in Odisha.

Meanwhile, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal has asserted that the party will extend its support on principle to the candidature of Dilip Ray to Rajya Sabha.

The contest is shaping up as a direct battle between Dilip Ray and Datteshwar Hota, who has been named as a joint candidate of the...