Bhubaneswar, 11 June (H.S.): Debashish Samantaray has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha after no other candidate remained in the fray for the scheduled by-election, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The by-election to the Upper House seat was scheduled by the Election Commission of India for June 18, 2026. However, the process concluded after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended, with no rival candidates contesting the seat.

The vacancy arose following Samantaray’s resignation from the Rajya Sabha after he quit the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He subsequently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which later nominated him for the vacant seat.

Samantaray was originally elected to the Rajya Sabha in February 2024 as a BJD nominee, with his tenure scheduled to continue until April 2030. His resignation led to the by-election to fill the remainder of the term.

With no opposition candidate entering the contest, Samantaray was declared elected unopposed, securing a fresh term in the Upper House that will continue until April 2030.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda