Resignation of BJD MP Debashish Samantaray accepted by Rajya Sabha chairman

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Monday accepted the resignation of BJD Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray.

Earlier in the day, Samantaray quit the BJD and also resigned from the Rajya Sabha. He met the Rajya Sabha chairman in Parliament and submitted his resignation from the Upper House.

With his resignation, the seat from Odisha now stands vacated.

According to a notification by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Samantaray's membership in the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Public Undertakings also ends.

A long-time associate of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, Samantaray said he would soon join the BJP and that talks with the saffron party leadership had been finalised.

Sources said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and state BJP president Manmohan Samal are in New Delhi, and Samantaray may join the BJP in their presence either later on Monday or the following day.

In his resignation letter to Patnaik, Samantaray said he felt "systematically belittled" in the party.

Meanwhile, the RS Secretariat also notified the nomination of Arvind Ganpat Sawant to the Joint Committee on the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill.

Another notification said RS MP K Laxman has been nominated to be a member of the House Committee and appointed him to be its chairman effective from May 25.