In a major political setback for the opposition Biju Janata Dal, senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Debasish Samantray on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the party as well as from the Rajya Sabha. Considered a close aide of former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Samantray’s exit has intensified speculation over growing unrest within the regional party.
In his resignation letter addressed to Naveen Patnaik, Samantray said he felt “systematically belittled” within the party and believed that the BJD no longer required his services. His departure comes at a time when the party is already grappling with internal dissent and shrinking representation in Parliament.
Speaking after submitting his resignation, Samantray confirmed that he had stepped down both from the party and from the Upper House of Parliament. “This morning, I tendered my resignation from the BJD. I have written to the BJD President, Naveen Patnaik, resigning from the primary membership of the party. I met the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha today, and have also submitted my resignation from the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
Despite his sharp criticism of the party’s internal functioning, Samantray expressed gratitude towards Naveen Patnaik for giving him the opportunity to serve Odisha in Parliament. He thanked the former Chief Minister for nominating him to the Rajya Sabha and allowing him to represent the people of the undivided Cuttack district and the state at the national level.
Samantray’s resignation further weakens the BJD’s presence in the Rajya Sabha. The party, which currently has six MPs in the Upper House, will now see its strength reduced to five. Notably, this is the third resignation by a BJD Rajya Sabha member in recent months. Earlier, Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mahanta had also quit the party before later being re-elected to the Rajya Sabha on tickets from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Political observers believe Samantray may follow a similar path and eventually join the BJP. Speculation has already intensified in Odisha political circles that he could be re-nominated to Parliament with BJP support.
In his resignation letter dated May 25, 2026, Samantray stated that he had always worked for the BJD with “conviction and commitment,” but had decided to step down in the larger public interest. Calling it a “difficult but necessary decision,” he indicated that he was deeply dissatisfied with the direction in which the party was moving.
Over the past several months, Samantray had repeatedly voiced concerns over the alleged continued influence of former bureaucrat and close Naveen aide V K Pandian in party affairs. According to him, despite Pandian’s public announcement of “sanyas” from active politics, he continued to influence the functioning of the BJD from behind the scenes.
His dissatisfaction with the party was visible even earlier. In November 2025, Samantray resigned from the post of vice-president of the BJD senior citizens’ cell. At that time, he openly criticized the party’s internal functioning and alleged that the BJD had drifted away from the ideology and principles of its founder, former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
Interestingly, it was only last year that Naveen Patnaik had personally announced the names of Debasish Samantray and party leader Subhasish Khuntia as BJD candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections, highlighting the trust the leadership once placed in him.
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