Odisha: Achyuta Samanta Announces Retirement From Politics After Lok Sabha Defeat

Bhubaneswar: BJD leader Achyuta Samanta, who lost the recent Lok Sabha elections from Kandhamal, on Sunday announced retirement from active politics.

According to sources, Samanta met BJD president Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence here on Saturday and expressed his desire to quit politics. He also thanked Naveen for giving him the opportunity to contest the elections.

The Founder of KIIT & KISS lost to BJP’s Sukanta Panigrahi by a margin of 2,1371 votes as the saffron party pulled off a stunning victory in the Lok Sabha elections in the state by pocking 20 of 21 seats.

In 2019, he had won the seat by defeating his nearest rival Kharabela Swain of BJP by a huge margin of 1,49,216 votes.