---
title: "Sharp U-Turn: BJD Refuses To Align With Congress-Led INDI Alliance For Tomorrow’s Shutdown"
url: https://mediathepower.com/sharp-u-turn-bjd-refuses-to-align-with-congress-led-indi-alliance-for-tomorrows-shutdown/
date: 2026-10-07
modified: 2026-10-11
lang: en
author: "Rajiv Singh"
description: "Bhubaneswar- The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) announced on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that it is not part of the INDI alliance and will not participate in October 8,2026 shutdown. The..."
categories:
  - "News"
image: https://mediathepower.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/NP.jpg
word_count: 313
---

# Sharp U-Turn: BJD Refuses To Align With Congress-Led INDI Alliance For Tomorrow’s Shutdown

Bhubaneswar- The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) announced on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that it is not part of the INDI alliance and will not participate in October 8,2026 shutdown. The regional party explicitly clarified that the Biju Janata Dal is not aligning with the Congress and other INDI alliance parties for tomorrow's event, underscoring its stance of maintaining equal distance from both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The decision marks a sharp, high-profile U-turn after senior BJD leader and Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik initially told reporters earlier in the day that the party would extend its full support to the shutdown. Within roughly 30 minutes of her initial statement, Mallik held a second press conference to officially clarify that the BJD is not part of the active bandh.
According to statements from Mallik on October 7, 2026, participating in a physical shutdown alongside the opposition bloc would misrepresent the party as being part of a political coalition. She emphasized that the organizers of the bandh did not consult the BJD before declaring the event.

- While the BJD aligns with specific issues raised by the opposition—such as protesting the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls—the party maintains that its protests will remain independent. BJD Rajya Sabha MPs had previously joined an opposition march in New Delhi regarding voter roll mismanagement, but the party strictly draws the line at joining a Congress-led alliance or event.
The party reiterated that it stands independently in its fight for the interests of the people of Odisha. Mallik referenced a recent economic blockade the BJD held in Sundargarh, noting that no other political parties stepped up to support them at that time, and the BJD will continue to operate on its own terms.

The sudden reversal has drawn immense attention across regional political circles, shutting down temporary speculation about shifts in the state's opposition dynamics.