The upcoming motion is an important opportunity for BJD to clarify its political stance
Bhaskar Parichha
BJD has not yet made a decision on whether to back the opposition INDIA alliance’s no-confidence motion against Vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. BJD president and leader of the opposition in the assembly, Naveen Patnaik, stated, “We are looking into it. We will take necessary actions,” when questioned about the party’s stance. The regional party, which has seven seats in the Rajya Sabha, has historically supported the NDA government on key legislative matters from 2019 to 2024.
This upcoming motion is an important opportunity for BJD to clarify its political stance, although their support or rejection will not affect the motion’s result. The NDA, with 123 members, holds a strong majority in the Upper House, which has a total of 238 members.
BJD members are not part of the 71 signatories to the petition against the Rajya Sabha chair. When asked about what BJD would consider since its members are not signatories, party MP Sasmit Patra mentioned that BJD is not involved in the INDIA alliance’s decision.
Sasmit stated that they will stay neutral between the NDA and INDIA alliance. The BJD has seen major changes in its parliamentary team recently. Two of its Rajya Sabha members, Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, have joined the BJP. Mohanta has already won her Rajya Sabha seat as a BJP candidate, while Kumar is set to be re-elected as the BJP’s choice for the seat he left. In 2022, BJD backed Dhankhar in the Vice Presidential election.
The regional party, which has seven seats in the Rajya Sabha, has traditionally supported the NDA government on key legislative matters from 2019 to 2024. The upcoming motion is an important chance for BJD to clarify its political stance, although its decision to support or oppose it will not affect the result. The NDA, with 123 members, has a strong majority in the Upper House, which has 238 members, ensuring they can come out of the confidence motion.
Recently, BJD has seen major changes in its parliamentary members. Two of its RS members, Mamata Mohanta and Sujeet Kumar, have joined the BJP. Mohanta has already won her RS seat as a BJP candidate, and Kumar is set to be re-elected as the BJP nominee for the position he left. BJD had backed Dhankhar in the 2022 VP election.
The motion against Dhankhar is expected to fail before the vote because a 14-day notice is needed. The Rajya Sabha will end its session on December 20, but the notice period will not be complete until December 23. Therefore, the notice will expire.
(The author is a senior journalist and columnist. Views expressed are personal.)
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