Debashish Samantaray quits BJD, Rajya Sabha; latest in series of such exits

Debashish Samantaray quit the Rajya Sabha and the Biju Janata Dal ahead of his expected induction into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party

Published on: May 25, 2026, 14:10:55 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Debashish Samantaray on Monday resigned as a Rajya Sabha member and from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s primary membership, alleging systematic belittling within the organisation, ahead of his expected induction into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Debashish Samantaray submitting his resignation as a Rajya Sabha member to vice-president C P Radhakrishnan. (X)

Samantaray’s resignation came after Rajya Sabha members Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar quit the BJD and joined the BJP in 2024. The BJD lost power in Odisha in June 2024 after a 24-year rule. With Samantray’s exit, the BJD now has fuve lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha. Samantaray submitted his resignation as a Rajya Sabha member to vice-president C P Radhakrishnan.

In his resignation letter to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray said he increasingly felt ignored and undervalued. “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. ...I have been systematically belittled in the party...the party does not require my services,” he wrote.

The resignation came months after Samantaray stepped down as vice-president of the BJD senior citizens’ cell in November 2025, citing dissatisfaction with the party’s functioning. In his earlier communication to Patnaik, he alleged that the party had drifted away from the ideology and principles associated with former chief minister Biju Patnaik.

Referring to the BJD’s defeat in the assembly elections and subsequent political setbacks, Samantaray claimed that the party leadership failed to undertake serious introspection or corrective measures.

Samantaray, 66, a three-time assembly member, was elected to the Rajya Sabha in February 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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