Bhubaneswar: The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday decided to stay away from the 12-hour Odisha bandh called by INDIA bloc parties on October 8 over the new mining law, alleged errors in school textbooks and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The regional party said it would neither support nor oppose the bandh, reiterating its policy of maintaining equidistance from the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition alliance.
“BJD is neither supporting nor opposing the bandh called for tomorrow. As we focus on the rights of the people in Odisha, we remain equidistant from both the BJP and Congress,” BJD media coordinator Lenin Mohanty told reporters.
The decision came a day after BJD leaders participated in an opposition protest in New Delhi seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
The bandh, called by nine INDIA bloc parties, is also seeking the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over alleged errors in school textbooks.
Mohanty said the BJD had independently opposed several decisions of the BJP government, including the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, and the publication of textbooks allegedly containing more than 1,800 errors.
“We opposed the MMDR Amendment Act 2026 and went to the streets. We also protested against books consisting of more than 1,800 errors,” he said.
He said the BJD had also joined the opposition parties’ march in Delhi against the SIR exercise over alleged disenfranchisement of voters.
Meanwhile, INDIA bloc parties intensified preparations for Thursday’s bandh. Leaders of the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, RJD and JMM held a meeting in Bhubaneswar and appealed to people to participate in the strike.
The parties also organised a torchlight rally and took a pledge to protect Article 326 of the Constitution, which provides for elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies on the basis of adult suffrage.
Essential services, including hospitals, ambulances, fire services, medicine shops and milk supply, will remain exempt from the bandh, the parties said.
Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, meanwhile, said the bandh would have no impact on the people.
The state government has directed district collectors and superintendents of police to take necessary measures to maintain law and order during the bandh.
