The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday said the induction of former party MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have no bearing on its organisational strength, while accusing the saffron party of compromising its moral stand by admitting a leader facing trial in the Seashore chit fund scam.
Despite being one of the country's richest mineral-producing districts, Keonjhar continues to offer limited livelihood opportunities to its poorest tribal communities, forcing many to migrate to other States in search of work, the opposition party alleged.
Announcing a statewide 'Shiksha Banchao Abhiyan' (Save Education Campaign) from July 9 to 15, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday said its youth and student wings would stage protests across Odisha over alleged errors in school textbooks, accusing the BJP government of jeopardising primary education.
Healthcare services across Odisha have been severely disrupted for the past three days as the ongoing strike by the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) has crippled government hospitals, affecting thousands of patients.
The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond within 48 hours of detecting large-scale errors in school textbooks for Classes I to VIII.
The labour law amendment approved by the Odisha Cabinet yesterday has elicited cautious reaction from Biju Janata Dal with senior party leader and mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Subas Singh, expressed concerns, stating, “Such reforms must not come at the expense of workers' rights and dignity, especially for vulnerable groups like contract and casual labourers.”
The BJD leaders further pointed out that earlier, any bill exceeding Rs 2 lakh required the countersignature of the Panchayat Samiti Chairman.
The decision on the part of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the principal opposition party in Odisha, to abstain from the 2025 Vice President poll has led the analysts to believe that the regional party is steadily losing relevance nationally, almost 15 months after it lost power to the BJP after 24 years of uninterrupted rule in the State.
As voting for the vice-presidential polls begins, three parties — BJD, BRS, and SAD — have announced a boycott, citing reasons ranging from political neutrality to farmers’ distress and flood mismanagement.
The MPs held mock polling to prepare for the Vice Presidential election, which will be held on Tuesday, September 9.
