BJD drops equidistant policy to join INDIA bloc protest against Election Chief

Breaking a long-standing policy of staying at an equal distance from both the BJP and Congress, the Biju Janata Dal joined an INDIA bloc protest march in Delhi on Tuesday. The party demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

BJD Shift

BJD chief Naveen Patnaik directed party MPs in the Rajya Sabha to join the protest. Manas Mangaraj, the BJD leader in the Rajya Sabha, stated that the exclusion of over 20 lakh voters in Odisha and more than 13 crore voters nationwide through the SIR process was done deliberately. Mangaraj clarified that the regional party has not formally joined the INDIA bloc, but the move signals an aggressive stance against the BJP. The BJP ended the BJD's 24-year rule in Odisha in June 2024 and won 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the BJD failed to win a single seat.

Past Alliances

BJD insiders noted that the decision aligns with public mood. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien expressed gratitude on X to Naveen Patnaik for sending MPs Manas Mangaraj and Sulata Deo and former MP Muzibulla Khan to the protest. The BJD has gradually shifted its strategy since losing power, stopping issue-based support to the NDA government, staging a Rajya Sabha walkout over NEET in July 2024, and joining a March 2025 meeting called by M K Stalin against the Delimitation Bill. Patnaik also supported demands for Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as Union Education Minister and led a protest against the Mines and Minerals Act. Senior BJP leader Biranchi Narayan Tripathy criticized the shift, stating the BJD is facing an existential crisis and using non-issues to stay relevant.

Context

Regional parties in India often balance cooperation with the central government against local political pressures. When regional outfits lose power or face electoral setbacks, shifting away from past neutral stances is a common strategy to rebuild local support.