Achyuta Samanta Bids Farewell to Active Politics

BJD leader and former MP Achyuta Samanta has announced his withdrawal from active politics following the party's disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Despite his defeat in Kandhamal, Samanta expressed gratitude towards BJD president Naveen Patnaik and vowed to continue his longstanding social services.

In a significant political development, BJD leader and former MP Achyuta Samanta announced his departure from active politics on Sunday. The move comes in the wake of the regional party's poor performance in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Samanta's decision to step down follows his defeat in the Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat, losing by a margin of 21,371 votes to BJP candidate Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi. This announcement was made a day after Samanta met with BJD president Naveen Patnaik.

Aside from his political role, Achyuta Samanta is widely recognized as the founder of prominent educational institutions, KIIT and KISS. In his statement, he expressed gratitude towards Patnaik for the opportunities he was given in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Despite his exit from politics, Samanta confirmed that he will continue his social service activities, which have been ongoing for the past 32 years. He also extended thanks to the members of the BJD and the citizens of Kandhamal for their unwavering support and love.