New Delhi, Oct. 7 -- For years, former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal had acted as a supporter of the BJP-led NDA government. On Tuesday, in a move that surprised many, the BJD decided to join the Opposition protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged mass disenfranchisement through the SIR.

A BJD leader said the party is committed to the welfare of 45 million Odias and more than 2.75 million voters have been disenfranchised in the name of SIR, which raises serious concerns.

"The BJD participated in the protest march because of the deliberate deletion of voters belonging to a minority community in Dhamnagar, Odisha, without the knowledge of the concerned BLOs, which raises serious q...