Bhubaneswar, May 26 -- In a major political development in Odisha, former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray on Tuesday formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

Samantaray joined the BJP in the presence of senior party leaders, barely a day after resigning from the BJD. His switch is being viewed as another setback for the regional party amid shifting political equations in the state following the 2024 elections.

Speaking after joining the saffron party, Samantaray expressed admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was inspired by the BJP's vision and leadership.

"Impressed with PM Modi's personality and dedication, I joined BJP today. I will work in ...