A day after resigning from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), senior party leader Debashish Samantray on Tuesday joined the BJP and said he was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India.
After formally joining the saffron party at its headquarters, Samantray thanked PM Modi and expressed his keenness to contribute to his vision of Viksit Bharat. “PM Modi has blessed me and included me on his team so that I can contribute to his vision for India. He has dreamt of building a developed India, and he is continuously working towards that goal. I have been deeply influenced by his programmes and his personality,” he said.
Sources said he was expected to be sent to the Upper House by the BJP.
Samantaray resigned from the primary membership of the BJD, alleging that he had been “systematically belittled” within the organisation. He also met Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and tendered his resignation as a Rajya Sabha member.
In a letter to BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray said, “Of late, I felt I have been systematically belittled in the party and that it does not require my services. Therefore, I have taken this hard decision in public interest and request you to accept my resignation.”
Samantaray’s resignation did not come in isolation.
Before him, Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra stepped down as the party’s floor leader in the Upper House following internal friction and restructuring within the parliamentary unit.
Earlier, two other Rajya Sabha MPs — Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mahanta — had also quit the party. They were later elected to the Rajya Sabha on BJP nomination.