Stories
BJD drifts away from BJP, joins Rahul Gandhi-led opposition march against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
- •Opposition MPs took out a march from Parliament House to Nirvachan Sadan in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- •Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal participated in the opposition march by sending its Rajya Sabha MPs, signaling a major shift in its political stance.
- •The friendship between BJD and BJP spans nearly three decades, but the equations changed completely after the BJP defeated BJD in the 2024 assembly elections.
- •While BJD has joined hands with the opposition on several issues and questioned the Election Commission, the party clarified it has not officially joined the INDIA bloc.
Key Questions Answered
BJD participated in the opposition march demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. This move reflects the party's shifting political stance and growing distance from the BJP following its heavy defeat in the 2024 Odisha elections.
The alliance between the BJP and BJD broke in 2009 after the two parties failed to reach a consensus on seat sharing. Following the split, BJD adopted a policy of maintaining equal distance from both the Congress and the BJP.
BJD questioned voting and counting data discrepancies during the 2024 elections, including differences between votes cast at booths and EVMs, as well as variations between initial polling day data and final figures. The party stated it received no satisfactory answers from the Election Commission, leading to its current support for the protest against Gyanesh Kumar.
