Former BJD MP Debashish Samantaray Joins BJP After Resignation

Debashish Samantaray's Shift to BJP

Debashish Samantaray, a former Rajya Sabha member from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, in the presence of senior party leaders. His resignation from the BJD occurred just a day prior, where he cited systematic humiliation within the party as his reason for leaving.

Samantaray, who has been a long-time associate of BJD leader and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, expressed his grievances after resigning from both the party and the Rajya Sabha. He claimed that despite his years of loyalty, he was barred from meeting the BJD chief and blamed former bureaucrat turned politician V.K. Pandian for the party's anticipated defeat in the upcoming 2024 elections.

In a statement to reporters, he remarked, "If I cannot even meet my party president, then there is no point in remaining in the BJD."

In his resignation letter addressed to Patnaik, Samantaray stated, "I hereby resign from the primary membership of BJD. Recently, I have felt that I am being systematically humiliated within the party and that my services are no longer needed. Therefore, I have made this difficult decision in the interest of the public and request you to accept my resignation." His departure follows that of two other BJD Rajya Sabha members, Sujit Kumar and Mamata Mahant, who also left the party and were later elected to the Rajya Sabha on BJP tickets.

Samantaray expressed gratitude to Patnaik for nominating him to the Rajya Sabha, stating, "I will always be indebted to you for this opportunity to serve the people of undivided Cuttack district and to raise issues related to Odisha at the national level." He has been a vocal critic of Pandian, especially after the anticipated losses for BJD in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections.