India, Feb. 28 -- The Congress party will support 'common candidate' Datteswar Hota in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das made this announcement today.

Earlier in the day, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, named Hota, an eminent urologist, as the 'common candidate' for the Rajya Sabha polls.

"I had met the BJD president last Monday and held discussions regarding a common candidate for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat. We will support Datteswar Hota in the March 16 elections. There should not be any horse trading in Rajya Sabha polls," said Das.

The Rajya Sabha elections have been necessitated as four R...