BJD joins I.N.D.I.A. protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar; DMK, AAP skip march

New Delhi: BJD on Tuesday sprang a surprise by joining the I.N.D.I.A. MPs’ march from Parliament to Election Commission against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar even as former bloc members DMK and AAP kept themselves away from the protest though share the same sentiments on the issue.

The Naveen Patnaik-led party insisted that they have not joined the I.N.D.I.A. bloc though their two MPs Manas Mangaraj and Sulata Deo as also former MP Muzibulla Khan joined the march on an issue, the BJD has been raising voice in Odisha.

Rahul, Priyanka among around 250 detained after 8-hour sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan

Sources said Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as also Congress leaders had been in touch with the BJD leadership and had extended an invite to Patnaik to join the protest. Deo said, "BJD is joining the protest march, but our leader Naveen Patnaik has already cleared that we are neither with the INDIA alliance nor the NDA, we are a responsible regional political party."

A similar invite was also sent to DMK and AAP, erstwhile I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties, but both decided to keep a distance with the Congress owing to political reasons.

AAP has Punjab Assembly elections next year in its mind and would not like to be seen sharing space with the Congress, its main challenger in Punjab. Even while it was in alliance with the Congress in Delhi for Lok Sabha polls, both the parties had fought against each other in Punjab.

DMK now shares no warmth with the Congress following the latter's decision to snap ties with it immediately after the Tamil Nadu election and supported Vijay-led TVK to form a government.

AAP has announced its delinking with the I.N.D.I.A. bloc before Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025 and has not attended any I.N.D.I.A. meeting since then. DMK also did not attend the last two meetings of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

However, both the parties unofficially coordinate with I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties in Parliament.

Rahul takes centre stage of street politics in protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, "today's protest march to the Election Commission which was stopped in front of the Akashwani building close to Nirvachan Sadan consisted of MPs of the INDIA janbandhan. BJD MPs also joined."

Other Opposition parties were present no doubt in spirit as would have been some who are temporarily in the NDA, he said adding, "the solidarity of the Opposition to defeat the nefarious designs of the PM-HM (Narendra Modi-Amit Shah) duo will most definitely be sustained whether it comes to Vote Chori or Delimitation. The countdown to the exit of the ‘Bharatiya Jhoot Party’ has already begun."