Desk (11 March 2026): In a significant political development ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, former Member of Parliament Rabindra Kumar Jena joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, a day after resigning from the Biju Janata Dal.
Jena formally joined the BJP in the presence of the party’s Odisha state president Manmohan Samal. His induction into the party has sparked fresh political discussions in the state.
On Tuesday, Jena had resigned from the BJD’s primary membership and all party responsibilities, submitting his resignation letter to BJD president Naveen Patnaik. In the letter, he cited personal reasons and circumstances for leaving the party.
Following his move to the BJP, political speculation has intensified, particularly with the Rajya Sabha elections approaching. Discussions have emerged about the possibility of cross-voting, especially regarding the vote of his wife Subhashini Jena, who is currently a BJD MLA from the Basta constituency.
Rabindra Jena, who entered politics after a successful business career, is considered a prominent leader in Balasore and across northern Odisha. He was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from the Balasore constituency in 2014. However, he lost the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to BJP leader Pratap Chandra Sarangi by a narrow margin.
Jena had also served as the BJD district president in Balasore and held several organizational responsibilities within the party. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJD did not nominate him as its candidate from Balasore, instead fielding Lekhashree Samantsinghar, who had joined the party from the BJP. The BJD, however, lost the seat.
Although Jena did not receive the Lok Sabha ticket in 2024, the BJD had nominated his wife Subhashini Jena as its candidate from the Basta Assembly constituency.
