Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the 12-hour statewide Odisha bandh called by the Congress-led INDIA bloc for Thursday, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said it would neither support nor oppose the strike.

In a statement to the media, BJD Media Coordinator Lenin Mohanty said the party had maintained an independent and principled position, with its focus remaining on the rights and interests of the people of Odisha.

“BJD maintains equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress and will continue to take its decisions based on the interests of Odisha and its people,” Mohanty said.

The clarification came after senior party leader Pramila Mallik said earlier in the day the BJD would join the shutdown following a meeting at Naveen Niwas. She later clarified the party would not support the Odisha bandh and reiterated the BJD’s position of maintaining equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress.

Mohanty said the BJD had strongly opposed the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, alleging the legislation adversely affected Odisha’s rights over its land and its economic interests. He said the party had been organising protests across the state and creating public awareness on the issue.

He also highlighted the BJD’s statewide agitation against the School and Mass Education Minister over alleged errors in textbooks.

On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue, Mohanty said BJD Rajya Sabha MPs had participated in a rally organised by opposition parties in New Delhi, reiterating the party’s position on the matter.

He further said the BJD had organised an economic blockade in Sundargarh on Wednesday against the MMDR Amendment Act.

“As a responsible regional party, the BJD will continue to raise issues concerning Odisha and question policies that are detrimental to the interests of the state,” Mohanty said.

The INDIA bloc has called the Odisha bandh over four key demands:

• Immediate withdrawal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026.
• Resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over errors in school textbooks.
• Resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged
• irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.