Why BJD MPs Are Marching in New Delhi: A Call for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation

BJD Joins Opposition Protest in New Delhi

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced that its Members of Parliament will join a protest march organized by opposition parties in New Delhi on Tuesday. This demonstration aims to call for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who is accused of making arbitrary decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which allegedly led to the removal of over 13 crore voters nationwide.

Manas Mangaraj, the leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha, stated that this decision was made under the guidance of party president Naveen Patnaik.

Mangaraj emphasized, "Following our party president's directive, our MPs will take part in the protest march." He reiterated the BJD's demand for Kumar's resignation due to his involvement in the SIR process.

Members of the INDIA bloc are expected to march from Parliament to the Election Commission's headquarters to press for Kumar's resignation amid claims of irregularities in the electoral roll revision.

Notable opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively, along with TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, are anticipated to participate in the march.

Mangaraj clarified that the BJD maintains a neutral stance towards both the INDIA bloc and the NDA.

"As a responsible political entity dedicated to upholding democratic institutions and the electoral process's integrity, the BJD will engage in today's activities," he stated.

Additionally, a BJD delegation plans to visit a police station in Delhi to submit a memorandum demanding Kumar's resignation.

Mangaraj raised concerns regarding the alleged exclusion of over 25 lakh voters in Odisha and more than 13 crore voters across India due to the SIR process.

He pointed to an incident in Dhamnagar, Bhadrak district, which heightened these concerns.

"The removal of 227 votes from a minority community in Dhamnagar, reportedly without the knowledge of the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), raises significant doubts about the SIR process's integrity," he remarked.

The BJD also highlighted the removal of thousands of voters from the electoral rolls in the Dhamnagar Assembly constituency and the unexpected retirement application from state Chief Electoral Officer R S Gopalan, which has further fueled concerns.

Mangaraj noted that the Supreme Court's comments regarding the modification of Form 6 have also cast doubt on the Election Commission's previous directives related to the SIR process.

He mentioned that the court clarified it had not issued any such direction, contradicting earlier statements from the Election Commission.

"These issues raise serious questions about CEC Gyanesh Kumar's role in the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls," Mangaraj concluded.