BJD Takes A Strategic Stance, Decides To Abstain From Voting In Vice-Presidential Election

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Odisha’s principal Opposition party, on Monday announced its decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming vice-presidential election, reaffirming its long-held policy of maintaining an “equidistant” stance from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.

The decision was finalised at a meeting of the party’s political affairs committee. Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr Sasmit Patra said, “Biju Janata Dal has decided to abstain from the vice-presidential election tomorrow. The BJD remains equidistant from both the NDA and the INDI Alliance. Our focus is solely on the development and welfare of Odisha’s 4.5 crore people.”

The BJD has seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has named CPI’s C.P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate, while the Opposition bloc has fielded B. Sudershan Reddy.

Reacting to the move, senior BJP leader Jual Oram remarked, “We have the numbers. By abstaining, they are indirectly supporting us. Naveen Babu has always extended indirect support, and this abstention once again reflects that.”

According to political analyst Sriram Dash viewed the BJD’s stance as a calculated one. “This is a clever decision by the BJD. By deciding to abstain from voting in the Vice-Presidential election, the party has tried to avoid a potentially explosive situation. Had it supported the NDA candidate, it would have sent a wrong message to the party’s rank and file that the top leaders have some kind of understanding with the BJP central leaders,” said Dash.

On April 4, five of the seven BJD Rajya Sabha members had voted in favour of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The fresh decision stresses on the BJD’s continuing strategy of positioning itself as a regional force that is neither aligned with the NDA nor with the national Opposition, while keeping its political options open in New Delhi.