On Tuesday, in a move that surprised many, the BJD decided to join the Opposition protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged mass disenfranchisement through the SIR. For years, former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal had acted as a supporter of the BJP-led NDA government.
One of the four Rajya Sabha MPs of the party, Sulata Deo, marched from Parliament to Akashvani Bhavan. “As a responsible political party, the BJD has maintained an equal distance from both the INDIA Bloc and the NDA. However, by participating in the march, the BJD is trying to protect democratic institutions and the integrity of the electoral process.
A BJD leader said the party is committed to the welfare of 45 million Odias and more than 2.75 million voters have been disenfranchised in the name of SIR, which raises serious concerns.
“The BJD participated in the protest march because of the deliberate deletion of voters belonging to a minority community in Dhamnagar, Odisha, without the knowledge of the concerned BLOs, which raises serious questions about the SIR exercise…” said Lenin Mohanty, media coordinator. That is the main reason the President of the Biju Janata Dal, Sri Naveen Patnaik, has already demanded the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over his controversial role in the SIR exercise,” Mohanty said.
To be sure, there is no guarantee that the BJD will join all Opposition protests in future, too. The decision to participate in the protest was also bolstered by the Supreme Court’s clarification that it had not directed any modification of Form 6, contrary to the CEC’s claim. In 2024, the BJP won the assembly polls, defeating Patnaik’s 24-year rule.
Congress’ communications chief Jairam Ramesh told HT that he was in touch with the BJD leadership. “This is significant,” he said. Another BJD leader said that the changed political situation in Odisha has prompted the decision.
