Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray resigned from the Biju Janata Dal and Parliament, alleging he was repeatedly ignored
May 25, 2026: Debashish Samantaray on Monday resigned from the Biju Janata Dal and also stepped down as a member of the Rajya Sabha, ahead of his expected induction into the Bharatiya Janata Party. Samantaray submitted his resignation to Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and accused the BJD leadership of systematically belittling and sidelining him within the organisation.
In his resignation letter addressed to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray said he had always worked with commitment for the party but increasingly felt ignored and undervalued. He claimed the party no longer required his services. His resignation comes amid a series of exits from the BJD after the party lost power in Odisha in 2024 following a 24-year rule. Earlier, Rajya Sabha MPs Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar had also left the BJD and joined the BJP.
Samantaray had earlier resigned as vice-president of the BJD senior citizens’ cell in November 2025, expressing dissatisfaction with the party’s direction and functioning. He alleged that the organisation had drifted away from the ideology associated with former Odisha leader Biju Patnaik and failed to introspect after electoral setbacks. A three-time MLA, Samantaray was elected to the Rajya Sabha in February 2024. With his exit, the BJD’s strength in the Upper House has now reduced further.