BJD’s Stand on No-Confidence Motion Against Jagdeep Dhankhar Remains Unclear
Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday stated that his party is closely monitoring the situation regarding a possible no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, proposed by the INDIA alliance. Patnaik added that the party has not yet made a decision on whether to support such a motion if introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
“We are examining it and will take the necessary steps,” Patnaik said when asked about the BJD’s position on the matter. The party had previously supported Dhankhar’s candidacy for vice president in 2022.
The BJD currently holds seven Rajya Sabha seats, which are pivotal for the Opposition’s strategy, given their thin numbers. Over the past few months, two BJD MPs, Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, left the party and the Rajya Sabha to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which assumed power in Odisha in June. While Mohanta has been re-elected to the Upper House, Kumar is set to be re-elected this month.The party, which lost all its Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections, faces challenges in shaping its influence in Parliament.
