BJD abstains from vice-presidential election: A strategic move for Odisha

Bhubaneswar: BJD, which has seven members in the Rajya Sabha, will abstain from voting in the vice-presidential election on Tuesday, party MP Sasmit Patra said on Monday.Patra said BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik made the decision after consulting the party’s political affairs committee, senior members and MPs. He reiterated that the move aligns with BJD’s consistent stance of maintaining equidistance from both NDA and INDIA bloc. “We are focused on the development and welfare of 4.5 crore people of Odisha. Every decision that Naveen Babu makes is made keeping the people’s interest in mind,” Patra said.Naveen travelled to Delhi on Monday and is expected to remain there for a few days for social engagements, he shared on his social media platforms. It was the first such major political decision after Naveen’s BJD lost power in the assembly election last year to BJP.While BJD’s abstention is unlikely to affect the outcome of the poll — given the NDA’s numerical advantage — it has sparked varied interpretations in political circles. Union minister Jual Oram remarked that the decision reflects an indirect endorsement of the NDA candidate. “Naveen Babu is indirectly supporting us,” Jual said. Echoing a similar view, BJP MP Pradeep Purohit said it’s an indirect support for BJP.Congress leader Sarat Rout said the move reveals BJD’s reluctance to take a firm stand against its former ally, the BJP. BJD had supported the NDA in the presidential and VP elections in 2022. The move was viewed as a strategic gesture to maintain cordial ties with the Centre, then crucial for governance in Odisha where BJD was in power.A senior BJD functionary said the party has historically adopted a case-by-case approach in such elections. In 2012, BJD abstained from voting when UPA’s Hamid Ansari was re-elected vice-president. In 2017, it backed opposition nominee Gopalkrishna Gandhi for VP, although NDA pick Venkaiah Naidu ultimately won the contest. In the presidential poll the same year, BJD supported NDA’s Ram Nath Kovind.