India, Sept. 8 -- The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of Odisha on Monday said it would abstain from the Vice-Presidential elections, a day before the polls and just hours after Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) took a similar decision.

"Biju Janata Dal has decided to abstain from the vice presidential elections tomorrow. The Biju Janata Dal remains equidistant from both the NDA and INDIA alliances. We are focused on the development and welfare of Odisha and 4.5 crore people of Odisha," said BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra.

Since 2014, the BJD, led by Naveen Patnaik, has played the politics of equidistance with great poise, opposing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha, but siding with the Modi government at the Centre as and when needed. In April t...