Debashish Samantaray Switches to BJP, Meets Nitin Naveen

Tuesday witnessed another major political shift when long-time Biju Janata Dal leader Debashish Samantaray crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The formal induction ceremony in New Delhi was attended by BJP General Secretary Arun Singh and senior leader Anil Baluni. Immediately after taking membership, Samantaray held a one-on-one meeting with National President Nitin Naveen to chart out his future role within the organization. In his first remarks as a BJP member, Samantaray credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for encouraging his decision. He said the call to join was driven by the Prime Minister’s commitment to building a developed India and that he now intends to dedicate himself to strengthening the party in his home state of Odisha. He promised to work at the grassroots level to expand BJP’s influence. Anil Baluni praised Samantaray’s administrative experience and local connect, while Arun Singh described the induction as proof of the party’s continued expansion under Modi’s leadership. Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal welcomed the move, saying Samantaray’s stature would add fresh momentum to the state unit’s efforts ahead of upcoming political challenges.