New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Jun 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced former BJD MP Debashish Samantaray as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by election from Odisha.

The BJP also announced candidates for Rajya Sabha seats from Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Rajasthan.

भारतीय जनता पार्टी की केन्द्रीय चुनाव समिति ने विभिन्न प्रदेशों में होने वाले राज्यसभा के द्विवार्षिक चुनाव एवं ओडिशा के उप-चुनाव 2026 हेतु निम्नलिखित नामों पर अपनी स्वीकृति प्रदान की है। pic.twitter.com/SNA6aMsDlC

— BJP (@BJP4India) June 4, 2026

Samantaray, 66, joined the BJP last week in New Delhi in the presence of senior leaders including BJP General Secretary Arun Singh, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal, and national general secretary and Odisha in charge Vijaypal Singh Tomar. His induction came just a day after he resigned from the BJD and vacated his Rajya Sabha seat.

Samantaray later met BJP National President Nitin Nabin, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, along with other party leaders in New Delhi.
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Samantaray expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat. “With the support of party workers, I will work to strengthen the organisation in Odisha. I thank the party for welcoming me into the world’s largest democratic organisation,” he said.