Bhubaneswar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Debashish Samantaray on Friday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election from Odisha.
He submitted three sets of nomination papers before the Returning Officer at the Odisha Legislative Assembly, amid strong support from top state party leaders, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal, and several ministers such as Suresh Pujari, Dr Mukesh Mahaling, and Krushna Chandra Patra, along with MLA Akash Dasnayak.
Background of the Political Shift
The by-election became necessary after Samantaray resigned from the Rajya Sabha following his departure from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He joined the BJP on May 26, 2026, in New Delhi, in the presence of senior leaders including BJP National President Nitin Nabin, CM Majhi, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Samantaray, who was originally elected to the Upper House as a BJD nominee in February 2024 with a term extending until April 2030, had served as a Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2009 to 2019.
His move is seen as part of a broader trend of defections from the BJD to the BJP in Odisha, strengthening the saffron party’s position ahead of future polls. With the BJP holding a majority in the state assembly (around 79 MLAs), Samantaray’s victory in the bypoll appears all but assured. Neither the BJD nor Congress is expected to field a strong challenge.
Election Schedule
The Election Commission of India has set the Rajya Sabha by-election for June 18, 2026. Voting will take place from 9 AM to 4 PM, with counting scheduled for 5 PM on the same day. Key dates include:
Last date for filing nominations: June 8, 2026
Scrutiny of nominations: June 9, 2026
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: June 11, 2026
Samantaray’s successful election would increase the BJP’s Rajya Sabha representation from Odisha to four seats, further consolidating its influence in the state.
