Odisha’s principal opposition party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have both declared that their Members of Parliament will stay away from voting in Tuesday’s vice presidential election. The decisions, made public on Monday, come with contrasting reasons but are expected to give the ruling NDA’s nominee an upper hand.
BJD Sticks to ‘Equal Distance’ Policy
The BJD, led by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, said its MPs will not participate in the election in line with its long-standing policy of keeping an “equal distance” from both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc at the Centre.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra told reporters in Delhi that Mr Patnaik had taken the call after consultations with senior leaders, members of the political affairs committee, and lawmakers. “Our entire focus is on the development of the state and its 4.5 crore people,” Patra said, as per news agency PTI.
This will not be the first time the party has opted out of the contest. BJD MPs had similarly abstained in the 2012 vice presidential election.
BJP, Congress React Sharply
The announcement drew swift reactions from both the BJP and the Congress. Senior BJP leader and Union minister Jual Oram said, “By deciding that BJD MPs will abstain from voting, Naveen Babu has indirectly supported the NDA candidate.”
Echoing the sentiment, the BJP’s Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit remarked, “They have not opposed our candidate.”
Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das criticised the move, saying, “Abstaining from voting means supporting the BJP… this was an opportunity for the BJD to prove that it is opposed to the saffron camp.”
BRS Links Abstention to Farmers’ Anguish
Meanwhile, the BRS also announced it would not participate in the September 9 election. Party working president K T Rama Rao explained that the decision was taken as a mark of protest over the severe shortage of urea fertiliser in Telangana.
“The shortage is such that scuffles are taking place among farmers while waiting in queues for urea,” he told reporters, accusing both the Congress and the BJP of failing to resolve the crisis. “We are abstaining. We are not going to participate,” he declared, adding that the BRS would have preferred to use the NOTA option had it been available, PTI reported.
The abstentions are not likely to dampen NDA’s prospects, as the alliance commands a clear majority of 427 MPs (293 Lok Sabha, 134 Rajya Sabha), giving C.P. Radhakrishnan a significant edge over the opposition. The INDIA bloc, though unified behind B Sudershan Reddy, faces hurdles in marshalling support.
With the BJD and BRS abstaining, the total voting number reduces, and the majority mark is reported to be 386. As per the NDA tally alone, their candidate is seen comfortably crossing this threshold.
Vice President Election on Tuesday
The contest will see NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan face off against the opposition’s joint nominee B Sudershan Reddy. The poll was necessitated by the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Voting by members of both Houses of Parliament will be conducted at Parliament House between 10 am and 5 pm on Tuesday, with counting to begin an hour later. Results are expected late in the evening. The election will be held through a secret ballot, and MPs are not bound by whips in casting their votes.
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