BJD joins Oppn stir against voter deletions

For years, former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal had acted as a supporter of the BJP-led NDA government. 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.

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.

“Gratitude to BJD Chief Naveen for deputing two MPs, Manas Mangaraj and Sulata Deo, and former MP Muzibulla Khan to the Opposition’s protest march in Delhi today against the CEC and SIR Scam,” TMC’ Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien tweeted.

One of the four Rajya Sabha MPs of the party, Sulata Deo, marched from Parliament to Akashvani Bhavan.

Congress’ communications chief Jairam Ramesh told HT that he was in touch with the BJD leadership. “This is significant,” he 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. Another BJD leader said that the changed political situation in Odisha has prompted the decision. In 2024, the BJP won the assembly polls, defeating Patnaik’s 24-year rule.

“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. 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.