Silent Strike: BJD and BRS Bow Out of Vice Presidential Showdown

National News: On the eve of the vice presidential election, the former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday announced that they will not participate in the voting to be held on Tuesday.

BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said, "We will not vote in the vice-presidential election. Our party is not influenced by any alliance. Our focus is only on the development of Odisha and the welfare of its 4.5 crore people."

The BJD has seven MPs in the Rajya Sabha, while it has no seat in the Lok Sabha.

BRS decision: A message of complete independence

BRS leader KTR made it clear that his party will stay away from the voting. He said, "We are neither in the NDA nor in the India Bloc. BRS is a completely independent party, and only the people of Telangana are the masters of our decision."

According to sources, both the alliances—NDA and India Bloc—tried to get support from BRS. BRS had supported opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the 2022 vice-presidential election.

Impact on NDA: BJD's move is a big setback

BJD's abstention from voting is seen as politically challenging for the NDA. In the last 11 years, Patnaik's party had supported the NDA in many important bills. The Congress activated former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is an old acquaintance of Patnaik, to talk to Patnaik. According to sources, both the leaders were present in Delhi over the weekend and discussed the strategy.

BJD's previous role in vice-presidential elections

• 2012: Abstained from voting
• 2017: Supported non-NDA candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi
• 2022: Supported NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar

This time the move reflects BJD's political autonomy and balanced strategy against the BJP in the state.