Senior BJD leader Debashish Samantaray resigns from his post as Vice-President of the Senior Citizen Cell, sending a letter to party president Naveen Patnaik.
Samantaray, a veteran organiser from Cuttack, expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as a humiliating designation. He stated that the title of Vice-President did not reflect the contributions of senior leaders and reduced their responsibilities. In his resignation letter, he questioned whether the party still valued loyalists who had stood by Biju Patnaik’s legacy and supported Naveen Patnaik throughout his career.
He further argued that the party’s actions appeared to deviate from Biju Patnaik’s ideals. According to him, thousands of workers still view Naveen Patnaik as their hope, yet the organisation failed to address the reasons behind its defeat in the 2024 elections. Samantaray urged Naveen Patnaik to intervene personally to prevent internal weakening.
The resignation also highlights ongoing friction within the Cuttack BJD unit. Since 2023, Samantaray and Cuttack Mayor Subhas Singh have clashed over events, invitations, and the absence of Naveen Patnaik’s photograph on public banners. Samantaray distanced himself from programmes led by Singh, signalling deeper tensions.
His decision has sparked speculation about his future political direction, with discussions on whether he may eventually join the BJP, following the path of other former BJD leaders.
The BJD leadership has not yet issued an official response to Samantaray’s resignation.
