Bhubaneswar, May 26: Senior politician and former Rajya Sabha member Debashish Samantaray formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party’s national headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, marking a significant political development in Odisha.

Samantaray joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders, including BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal and Odisha BJP in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar. He was later felicitated by BJP National President Nitin Nabin in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Speaking after joining the party, Samantaray expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision of “Viksit Bharat” or Developed India.

“I have been deeply influenced by Prime Minister Modi’s vision, policies and leadership. His commitment towards building a developed India inspired me to join the BJP and contribute towards nation-building,” he said.

A day before joining the BJP, Samantaray resigned from the primary membership of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and also stepped down as a Rajya Sabha MP.

Once regarded as a close aide of former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray’s exit from the BJD and entry into the BJP is being seen as a major political realignment in the state ahead of future electoral contests.

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