Bhubaneswar: Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and the party’s chief whip in the Odisha Assembly, Pramila Mallik, on Monday launched a sharp attack on Debashish Samantaray following his resignation from the party, asserting that his exit would have no adverse impact on the regional outfit and would instead benefit it.
Samantaray, a three-time MLA, resigned from the BJD earlier in the day in a letter addressed to party president Naveen Patnaik, alleging that he had been continuously sidelined within the party. He also resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership, reducing the BJD’s strength in the Upper House to five members.
Reacting to the development, Mallik alleged that leaders leaving the BJD after the party lost power were driven by personal interests.
“They came to the party for their own self-interests. They enjoyed the benefits, earned money, fame and various posts and positions in the party. But when the party lost power, they showed their true colours and left the party to get cleaned in the BJP’s washing machine,” she told reporters.
Mallik further alleged that Samantaray had failed to raise Odisha-related issues in the Rajya Sabha or effectively present the BJD’s stand in Parliament.
Taking a dig at the former MP, she said Naveen Patnaik had given Samantaray several political opportunities, including making him an MLA three times. She noted that after his electoral defeats, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
The senior BJD leader also accused Samantaray of weakening the party organisation during his tenure as the BJD’s Cuttack district president.
Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty described the allegations levelled by Samantaray against the party leadership as “the greatest hypocrisy of 2026.”
“How can somebody claim to be belittled when he was given party tickets continuously for five elections? He won three Assembly elections, and even after losing twice, the party continued to trust him,” Mohanty said.
He said Samantaray had held several key positions in the party over the years, including Cuttack district president and Rajya Sabha MP.
“After doing so much for him, the party and its workers expected him to work for the organisation. But for the last two years, after becoming a Rajya Sabha MP, he was nowhere to be seen,” Mohanty alleged.
He further accused Samantaray of acting to safeguard his personal and business interests.
“He has compromised for vested interests and joined the BJP to protect his business interests. He is afraid of the BJP and has gone to the other camp for his own benefit,” Mohanty claimed.
Mohanty maintained that the departure of individual leaders would not weaken the BJD and asserted that the party remained strong under Naveen Patnaik’s leadership. He also termed Samantaray a “traitor” and criticised what he called his “hypocritical ways.”
