BJP Names Debashish Samantaray as Candidate for Rajya Sabha By-Election in Odisha

New Delhi: As expected, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded senior party leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray for Rajya Sabha by-election in Odisha. On May 25, Debashish Samantray had resigned from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) citing alleged neglect and marginalisation within the party and joined the BJP on the following day. The Rajya Sabha by-election in Odisha was necessitated after Samantaray, a three-time MLA, resigned from the Rajya Sabha as an BJD MP. However, the saffron party today announced him as the candidate for the election to be held on June 18. Given the number the saffron party has in Odisha, Samantaray’s win is sure. Apart from announcing candidate for Odisha, the BJP also named candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The party has fielded Tai Tagak from Arunachal Pradesh; Rajubhai Shukla, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Mansingh Parmar, and Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanzariya from Gujarat; Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal from Madhya Pradesh; A. Sharda Devi from Manipur; and Alka Gurjar and Satish Poonia from Rajasthan.