The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the opposition party in Odisha, announced on Monday that its Members of Parliament (MPs) will abstain from voting in the vice-presidential elections. This decision is expected to benefit the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate, CP Radhakrishnan.
The BJD, led by Odisha’s former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, stated that the move aligns with its policy of maintaining an “equal distance” from both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc at the national level.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra said, “Patnaik has decided that the party MPs will abstain from voting in the vice presidential elections. He took the decision after consulting senior party leaders, members of the political affairs committee (PAC) and lawmakers.” He added that the party’s primary focus remains the “development of the state and its 4.5 crore people.”
“Our entire focus is on the development of the state and its 4.5 crore people,” he added.
The vice-presidential elections, where only members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are eligible to vote, are scheduled for Tuesday.
The ruling BJP in the state welcomed the BJD’s decision. Union Minister Jual Oram said, “By deciding that BJD MPs will abstain from voting, Naveen ‘babu’ has indirectly supported our NDA candidate.” Similarly, BJP’s Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit suggested that the BJD’s “indirect support” for the NDA candidate might be due to some “political compulsion.”
Similarly, BJP’s Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit stated that the BJD’s “indirect support” for the NDA candidate might be due to some “political compulsion.”
The Congress, however, criticised the BJD’s stance. Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka claimed the BJD might be “fearing CBI, I-T and ED raids,” which led to their “support” for the NDA candidate.
He urged Patnaik to reconsider the decision, stating that the INDIA bloc’s candidate, B Sudershan Reddy, is an “eminent jurist” and not a Congress leader. “If BJD MPs vote for him, it will not impact the party’s policy of maintaining equidistance. There is still time to reconsider,” he said.
Ulaka also questioned Patnaik’s control over his party, citing the divided stance of BJD MPs during the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
“Some BJD MPs supported the Bill, one abstained, and one opposed it. How can they show their face to the people of Odisha after indirectly supporting the BJP at the national level?” Ulaka asked.
State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das said the decision proves that the BJD and BJP “are one.” He reiterated that Congress is the “real opposition in Odisha.”
In response, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty dismissed the claims, stating that Patnaik’s decision seems to have “shaken” both the national parties.
“BJD has made its mark as a successful political party all over India. The party has the support of the people and is the number one party in the state even today. BJD will never compromise with the interests of the state,” he said.
The BJD had taken varying positions in past vice-presidential elections. It abstained in the 2012 elections, supported non-NDA candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi in 2017, and backed NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar in 2022.
The current polls were necessitated by Dhankhar’s resignation on July 21.
The BJD has seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha and none in the Lok Sabha. The NDA holds a clear majority with 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha.
