BJP's Debashish Samantaray Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha From Odisha
The declaration was made by the Odisha Legislative Assembly following the completion of the nomination process for the Rajya Sabha bypoll scheduled for June 18.
Bhubaneswar: BJP candidate Debashish Samantaray was on Thursday declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha after no other candidate filed nomination papers for the by-election.
The declaration was made by the Odisha Legislative Assembly following the completion of the nomination process for the Rajya Sabha bypoll scheduled for June 18.
Samantaray had filed his nomination papers as the BJP nominee on June 4. The by-election was necessitated after he resigned from the Rajya Sabha as a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and subsequently joined the BJP.
A three-time MLA and a prominent political leader from Cuttack district, Samantaray joined the BJP shortly after ending his association with the BJD. The BJP's Central Election Committee later nominated him as the party's candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.
His election marks another addition to the BJP's strength in the Upper House from Odisha following the party's rise to power in the state in 2024.
Since the BJD's defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections, three of its Rajya Sabha members — Mamata Mahanta, Sujeet Kumar and Debashish Samantaray — have resigned from the regional party and joined the BJP.
Political observers view Samantaray's unopposed election as a reflection of the changing political landscape in Odisha after the BJP ended the BJD's 24-year rule in the state.
The BJD has also faced internal challenges in recent months. Earlier this year, eight of its MLAs reportedly cross-voted in favour of Independent Rajya Sabha candidate Dilip Ray, resulting in the defeat of the party's official nominee, Datteshwar Hota.
Sources in political circles said more BJD leaders could switch allegiance in the coming months, though the party has not officially commented on such speculation.
