BJD's Debashish Samantaray joins BJP, meets party president Nitin Nabin
Synopsis
Debashish Samantaray — once a trusted insider of the BJD and a three-time MLA — has formally crossed over to the BJP, just one day after resigning from both the party and his Rajya Sabha seat. His exit reduces the BJD's Upper House strength to five, deepening the party's post-2024 unravelling.
Key Takeaways
Debashish Samantaray joined the BJP at the party's New Delhi headquarters on 27 May 2026 .
He resigned from the BJD's primary membership and his Rajya Sabha seat on 25–26 May 2026 .
The BJD's Rajya Sabha strength now stands at five members following his exit.
Samantaray was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2024 and is a three-time MLA from Odisha.
He was felicitated by BJP President Nitin Nabin and greeted by CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan .
Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Debashish Samantaray formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, 27 May 2026, at the party's headquarters in New Delhi, ending a decades-long association with the Naveen Patnaik-led outfit. The move came just a day after he resigned from the BJD's primary membership and vacated his Rajya Sabha seat.
The Joining Ceremony
Samantaray was inducted into the BJP in the presence of BJP General Secretary Arun Singh, party chief spokesperson and media in-charge Anil Baluni, and several other senior leaders. Following the formal membership, he called on BJP President Nitin Nabin, who felicitated him. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Manmohan Samal were also present to welcome him into the fold.
His Resignation from BJD and Rajya Sabha
On Monday, 26 May 2026, Samantaray addressed a letter to BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, writing: 'I 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 same day, he met Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and formally tendered his resignation from the Upper House. Samantaray had been elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2024. With his exit, the BJD's strength in the Rajya Sabha has been reduced to five members.
A Veteran of Odisha Politics
Samantaray is a three-time MLA, having represented the Tirtol and Barabati-Cuttack constituencies across three successive tenures — 2000–2004, 2009–2014, and 2014–2019. Once regarded as a trusted insider of the BJD, he had in recent years become increasingly vocal about the party's internal direction, notably targeting V.K. Pandian — a former bureaucrat and close aide of Patnaik — in public statements.
What This Means for BJD and Odisha Politics
This comes amid a broader erosion of the BJD's political base following the party's defeat in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, which ended Naveen Patnaik's unbroken two-decade hold on the state. The BJP, now in power in Odisha, has steadily attracted prominent BJD figures, and Samantaray's defection underscores the continued realignment of the state's political landscape. With the BJD's parliamentary numbers shrinking further, the party faces mounting questions about its organisational revival and long-term direction.
Point of View
The BJD risks losing even its leverage as a swing force in the Upper House. Naveen Patnaik built a formidable regional machine over two decades, but without state power and with defections accelerating, the party's ability to retain credible leaders — rather than caretakers — is the real test ahead.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Debashish Samantaray leave the BJD?
Samantaray resigned from the BJD on 25 May 2026 after decades with the party. While his resignation letter to Naveen Patnaik was formally gracious, he had previously been openly critical of the party's internal direction, particularly targeting V.K. Pandian, a former bureaucrat and close aide of Patnaik.
What is Debashish Samantaray's political background?
He is a three-time MLA from Odisha, having represented the Tirtol and Barabati-Cuttack constituencies during 2000–2004, 2009–2014, and 2014–2019. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2024 on a BJD ticket.
How many BJD members remain in the Rajya Sabha after his resignation?
Following Samantaray's resignation, the BJD's strength in the Rajya Sabha has been reduced to five members.
Who welcomed Debashish Samantaray into the BJP?
He was felicitated by BJP President Nitin Nabin and greeted by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Manmohan Samal, among other senior party leaders.
What is the significance of this defection for Odisha politics?
The move reflects the ongoing political realignment in Odisha following the BJP's victory in the 2024 state elections, which ended the BJD's two-decade rule. Samantaray is among several prominent BJD figures to have moved toward the BJP since that defeat.
