Bhubaneswar: BJD leader and former Kandhamal MP Achyuta Samanta has announced retirement from active politics after his defeat in Odisha Lok Sabha polls. Samanta met BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence on Saturday and expressed his desire to quit politics.
He thanked Patnaik for giving him an opportunity to contest elections in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha as BJD candidate.
In the press meet, “Samanta expressed his deep gratitude for giving him an opportunity to contest in the elections, and said that he will continue his social work, which he has been doing for the past 32 years and he will do it in a large scale manner.”
He even mentioned that he is very thankful to the people of Kandhamal for the immense love and support for him. He will continue in serving the Adivasi people.
Notably, Samanta lost to BJP’s Sukanta Panigrahi by a margin of 21, 371 votes. While Panigrahi, got 4,16, 415 votes in the Odisha Lok Sabha polls 2024.