Bhubaneswar, Jun 4 (PTI) Former BJD MP Debashish Samantaray, who has been nominated by the BJP for the Rajya Sabha by-election in Odisha, said he was expecting it as four years of his tenure were left.
Samantaray was elected to the Rajya Sabha in February 2024 as a BJD nominee. A three-time MLA and a former MP, he, however, resigned from the Naveen Patnaik-headed outfit on May 25 and joined the BJP the next day. His resignation came four years ahead of his scheduled completion of tenure in April 2030.
He was offered the BJP ticket within 10 days of joining the saffron outfit.
“I joined the BJP inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and vision for a developed India,” Samantaray said and thanked the saffron party’s leadership for nominating him against the existing vacancy.
He alleged that he quit the BJD after being sidelined and unable to meet party president Naveen Patnaik, whom he called his “political guru”. He blamed bureaucrat-turned-politician V K Pandian as the reason behind his resignation from the BJD.
According to political observers, Samantaray was given the BJP ticket in a fashion similar to how the saffron party fielded former BJD MPs Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta last year and got them elected. The two joined the BJP after resigning from the BJD and got re-elected to the seats vacated by them.
Following Samantaray’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha membership, the Election Commission announced a by-election to the lone seat from Odisha vacated by him would be held on June 18 if there is more than one candidate in the fray, an official said.
The formal notification for the by-election was issued on June 1 and the last date of filing nominations is June 8. Scrutiny of nominations is slated to be taken up on June 9 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 11.
Keeping in view the BJP’s strength in the 147-member Odisha Assembly, the election of Samantaray is certain. The Opposition BJD and Congress may not field any candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls, sources said. PTI AAM AAM ACD
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