Debashish Samantaray third RS MP to quit BJD, likely to join BJP

Bhubaneswar: Alleging that he was being systematically sidelined, BJD MP Debashish Samantaray resigned from Rajya Sabha and the party on Monday, announcing plans to join the BJP soon. He is the third BJD Rajya Sabha member in the past two years to quit the party, with two before him going on to join the BJP.A three-time former MLA, Samantaray was elected to Rajya Sabha in April last year. He is likely to join the BJP soon and may return to the Upper House as its nominee. Even otherwise, BJP is comfortably placed to win the seat vacated by him. With Samantaray’s exit, BJD’s strength in Rajya Sabha has dropped to five.“I have a definite thought in that direction. I have got assurance from the top leadership,” Samantaray said on joining the BJP, adding that he was “on the way to a national party with respect.”Sources said he may formally join the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of CM Mohan Charan Majhi and state BJP president Manmohan Samal.Talking about his exit, Samantaray said he saw no future in the BJD and blamed VK Pandian for the party’s defeat in the 2024 assembly election as well as the current state of affairs. He alleged Pandian had distanced Naveen Patnaik from party leaders and questioned the formation of Biju Naveen Inspirational Foundation, claiming it was controlled by Pandian and RS member Santrupt Misra.“I could not meet Naveen babu even once in the past year despite being an MP,” he alleged.Reacting to his resignation, state BJP chief Samal termed it an “internal matter” of the BJD and declined further comment. On Samantaray’s possible induction into the BJP, he said the “future will reveal” the course of events.Samantaray follows Mamata Mohanta (July 2024) and Sujeet Kumar (Sept 2024), who resigned from the BJD, joined the BJP and re-entered Rajya Sabha as its nominees. While Mohanta served the remainder of her term till April this year, Kumar was re-elected for a fresh term.BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik hit out at Samantaray, alleging leaders switch sides for “money, power and positions” after electoral setbacks. She said Samantaray had failed to raise Odisha-related issues in Rajya Sabha and asserted that his resignation would not impact the party. Mallik said for Samantaray everything was fine when the party offered him positions, but things changed after BJD’s electoral setback.