BJD MPs on Tuesday joined the INDIA bloc MPs' protest march towards the Election Commission that was stopped at Parliament street here with the Congress on Tuesday asserting that the solidarity of the Opposition to defeat the nefarious designs of "the PM-HM duo" will most definitely be sustained whether it comes to "vote chori" or delimitation.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, the Congress also said the countdown to the exit of the "Bharatiya Jhoot Party" has already begun.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Today's protest march to the Election Commission which was stopped in front of the Akashvani building close to Nirvachan Sadan consisted of MPs of the INDIA janbandhan. BJD MPs also joined."
Other Opposition parties were present no doubt in spirit as would have been some who are temporarily in the NDA, Ramesh said.
"The solidarity of the Opposition to defeat the nefarious designs of the PM-HM (Narendra Modi-Amit Shah) duo will most definitely be sustained whether it comes to Vote Chori or Delimitation," the Congress general secretary said.
"The countdown to the exit of the Bharatiya Jhoot Party has already begun," Ramesh added.
MPs of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which is not a member of the INDIA bloc, were also part of the protest.
BJD MPs Manas Mangaraj and Sulata Deo participated in the protest.
Deo said, "BJD is joining the protest march, but our leader Naveen Patnaik has already cleared that we are neither with the INDIA alliance nor the NDA, we are a responsible regional political party."
INDIA bloc MPs, including Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, marched from Parliament House complex towards the Election Commission but were stopped by police on Parliament Street, where they sat on a dharna demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Several MPs were later detained and taken away in buses.