Debashish Samantaray has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha, following his nomination as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.
The announcement came on Thursday after he emerged as the sole nominee, eliminating the need for voting in the by‑election.
Samantaray previously entered the Rajya Sabha in April 2024 on a BJD ticket, with his tenure scheduled to end in April 2030. However, he resigned from both the party and his parliamentary seat on May 25, 2026, citing differences. The next day, he joined the BJP, which later fielded him for the vacant seat.
Election officials confirmed his victory after no other candidate filed nominations.
