By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI:Rajya Sabha MP Debashisa Samantaray resigns. He submitted his resignation letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman.He formally resigns from BJD membership effective 25 May. He expresses deep gratitude to Naveen Patnaik for nominating him to Rajya Sabha and for the opportunity to serve people from undivided Cuttack district and Odisha at the national level.
BJD’s strength in Rajya Sabha after Debashish Samantaray’s resignation: 5 members.
Details:Before resignation — BJD had 6 MPs in Rajya Sabha (as of early 2026).After resignation (effective 25 May 2026) — BJD’s strength has dropped to 5 MPs.
This is the third major exit from BJD’s Rajya Sabha group recently. Two other MPs (Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar) had already left and joined the BJP earlier.
Remaining BJD Rajya Sabha MPs (as of 25 May 2026):
Santrupt Misra (elected March/April 2026)
Subhashish Khuntia
Sasmit Patra
Manas Mangaraj
Sulata Deo
Debashish Samantaray’s term was originally until April 2030. His resignation from the party does not automatically vacate the seat (he remains an independent MP unless he resigns from the House as well, which has been speculated but not confirmed yet).
This further weakens BJD’s position in the Upper House amid ongoing internal turmoil since the 2024 election defeat. Reports suggest Samantaray is likely to join the BJP soon.
This resignation is a major setback for BJD. It is the third BJD Rajya Sabha MP to leave the party recently (after Mamata Mahanta and Sujeet Kumar, who joined BJP). This reduces BJD’s strength in Rajya Sabha to around 5 members.
There has been growing discontent in BJD since the party lost power in Odisha in the 2024 elections.
Samantaray had previously resigned from a minor party post (Vice President of Senior Citizens’ Cell) in November 2025, calling it “demeaning.” Reports strongly suggest he is likely to join the BJP soon, which could influence politics in Cuttack, Tirtol, and Paradip areas.
This event highlights ongoing internal challenges and attrition within BJD under Naveen Patnaik’s leadership. The letter itself is polite but firm, balancing respect with clear dissatisfaction.
Acknowledges his long dedication and commitment to the party. Feels he has been “systematically belittled” in the party lately, and that the party no longer requires his services. He describes it as a “hard decision in public interest.”
He is a senior BJD leader and a three-time former MLA from Cuttack (Barabati-Cuttack area).Elected to Rajya Sabha in April 2024 (term until 2030).Has held various party positions and committee roles in Parliament (e.g., related to public undertakings, housing, urban affairs, and road transport).
