Biju Janata Dal President Naveen Patnaik accepted the resignation of Dr Sasmit Patra as leader of the party’s parliamentary group in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Patra, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, submitted his resignation on Wednesday, citing reasons that remain undisclosed.
The office of the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly confirmed the development in a statement. Party sources revealed that some BJD MPs had called for a change in leadership, prompting Patra’s decision. His exit comes just two days after Santrupt Misra took the oath as a new Rajya Sabha member.
Earlier this month, Patra resigned from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT. He protested remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey about former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. Patra’s resignation from the committee signalled growing tensions and eventually led to his departure from the parliamentary leadership role.
Patra had served as BJD’s leader in the Rajya Sabha since 2022. During his tenure, he represented the party’s positions on national issues and participated actively in debates.
