BJD softens stance on Waqf Amendment Bill, allows MPs to vote based on conscience
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Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has eased its opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill, granting its MPs the freedom to vote according to their conscience rather than enforcing a party directive.
The change in stance comes despite the party’s initial resistance to the bill before it was tabled in the Lok Sabha.
Announcing the decision on X (formerly Twitter), senior BJD leader Sasmit Patra stated that no party whip would be issued for the Rajya Sabha vote on the bill. Highlighting the party’s dedication to secularism and inclusivity, he acknowledged the diverse concerns raised by minority communities regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
“Our Party, having taken these views into careful consideration, has entrusted our Hon'ble Members in the Rajya Sabha with the responsibility of exercising their conscience in the best interest of justice, harmony and the rights of all communities, should the Bill come up for voting. There is no Party Whip,” Patra wrote.
The BJD’s decision to allow its seven Rajya Sabha members to vote freely marks a break from other non-aligned parties that have remained firm in their opposition. Despite this, the NDA maintains a numerical advantage in the Upper House, with 125 members out of the 245-member Rajya Sabha.
Historically, the BJD has maintained an “equal distance” from both the BJP and Congress, occasionally providing issue-based support to the BJP on contentious bills. However, the political landscape has shifted since last year’s general and state elections, where the BJP delivered a crushing blow to the BJD, winning 20 of 21 Lok Sabha seats and 78 of 147 assembly seats in Odisha.
In response, Patnaik’s party has adopted a more assertive stance against the BJP. The BJD’s nine MPs participated in an Opposition walkout during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the inaugural session of parliament following the elections, in protest of his remarks against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
Additionally, the party has reconsidered its support for the “One Nation One Election” proposal. Once a supporter of the concept, the BJD has now urged the Kovind Committee to carefully evaluate the details of the proposal and warned against rushing the process, drawing parallels to the hasty implementation of the farm laws.