Day after quitting BJD, Debashish Samantaray joins BJP

Newdelhi:26/5/26: Debashish Samantaray, who resigned from the Biju Janata Dal yesterday, formally embraced the BJP symbol at the party’s national headquarters in New Delhi.Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal welcomed him during the induction ceremony.

Samantaray’s decision to switch sides comes after his exit from BJD, where he had served as a Rajya Sabha member. His move signals a significant political shift in Odisha’s landscape ahead of the upcoming electoral battles.

The induction ceremony witnessed senior leaders present as Samantaray accepted the lotus symbol, marking his official entry into the BJP fold. Party insiders described the development as a boost to the BJP’s organisational strength in Odisha.

After formally joining the saffron party at its headquarters, Samantray thanked PM Modi and expressed his keenness to contribute to his vision of Viksit Bharat. “PM Modi has blessed me and included me on his team so that I can contribute to his vision for India. He has dreamt of building a developed India, and he is continuously working towards that goal. I have been deeply influenced by his programmes and his personality,” he said.

Samantaray resigned from the primary membership of the BJD, alleging that he had been “systematically belittled” within the organisation. He also met Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and tendered his resignation as a Rajya Sabha member.

In a letter to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray said, “Of late, I felt I have been systematically belittled in the party and that it does not require my services. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest and request you to accept my resignation.”Samantaray’s resignation did not come in isolation.

Before him, Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra stepped down as the party’s floor leader in the Upper House following internal friction and restructuring within the parliamentary unit.

Earlier, two other Rajya Sabha MPs — Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mahanta — had also quit the party. They were later elected to the Rajya Sabha on the BJP nomination.