Bhubaneswar: Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Debashish Samantaray on Monday resigned from the party’s primary membership, alleging neglect and inadequate recognition within the party, amid mounting speculation over a possible shift to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a resignation letter addressed to BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, the Rajya Sabha MP said he had taken the “hard decision” in public interest after feeling “systematically belittled” in the party in recent times.
“I feel that, of late, I have been systematically belittled in the party and that the party does not require my services,” Samantaray wrote in the letter.
The parliamentarian, who represents Odisha in the Rajya Sabha, expressed gratitude to Patnaik for nominating him to the Upper House and for allowing him to serve the people of the undivided Cuttack district and to raise issues concerning Odisha at the national level.
Samantaray also stated that he had worked for the party with “utmost conviction and commitment” over the years and had always remained dedicated to the interests of the regional outfit.
The resignation comes at a politically significant time for the BJD, which has been witnessing internal churn following recent electoral setbacks and organisational restructuring efforts. Following his resignation, the BJD’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has come down to five members
Samantaray currently serves as a member of the Committee on Public Undertakings, the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Meanwhile, media reports said that Samantaray is most likely to join the BJP. It is also reported that he will join the ruling party in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other senior party leaders in New Delhi.
