Bhubaneswar, May 25 (IANS) In a major setback to the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), senior leader and Rajya Sabha member Debashish Samantaray on Monday tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party.

In a letter addressed to the party president Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray wrote, “I do hereby resign from the primary Membership of BJD today, i.e. 25th May 2026. I shall always be indebted to you for nominating me to Rajya Sabha. I take this opportunity to express my sincere and deepest gratitude to you for giving me an opportunity to serve the people of undivided Cuttack district and to raise issues of Odisha at large, at the national level.”

The veteran leader further stated that he had always worked dedicatedly for the party over the past several years. He alleged that he had been systematically sidelined within the party for the past few years, prompting him to take the decision to resign from the party’s primary membership.

“I have always dedicated myself to the interest of the party and have, over the years, worked for the party with utmost conviction and commitment. However, I feel that, of late, I have been systematically belittled in the party and that the party does not require my services. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest and request you to accept my resignation,” added Samantaray.

Samantaray also met Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and tendered his resignation from the membership of the Upper House. He was elected to the Upper House of Parliament in April 2024. With his resignation, the number of BJD members in the Rajya Sabha is reduced to just five now.

It is worth noting that the three-time MLA was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the Tirtol and Barabati-Cuttack constituencies during 2000-2004, 2009-2014 and 2014-2019.

He is considered a party stalwart in the opposition BJD with considerable influence in the Cuttack, Tirtol and Paradip regions of the state. He had recently reportedly declined to accept the party post of senior vice-president.

Once considered a blue-eyed boy of the party supremo, Debashish Samantaray, of late, has been known for speaking out on the party’s internal affairs and has openly targeted V.K. Pandian, a former bureaucrat and close aide of Naveen Patnaik, in the past.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife in the state’s political circles that the veteran leader may soon join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

–IANS

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