Bhubaneswar, Sept 8: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential election, scheduled for tomorrow. The decision reflects the regional party’s long-standing strategy of maintaining an equidistant stance from both the BJP-led NDA and the Opposition’s INDIA bloc.

Announcing the move, BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said the party president and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took the call after consulting senior leaders. “The BJD will continue its policy of equidistance from both the NDA and the INDIA alliance. Accordingly, we will not participate in the voting,” Patra stated.

Sources revealed that the decision was finalized during a meeting of the BJD’s political affairs committee, chaired by Patnaik. While some leaders argued that supporting the NDA’s candidate might create an impression of the party drifting towards the BJP, others cautioned that backing the opposition candidate could be construed as aligning with the Congress.

In the end, consensus emerged that abstaining was the best way to preserve the party’s independent identity and keep its options open ahead of future political developments.

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