Bhubaneswar, September 29 (Daily Kiran) : Political parties under the India Block have declared a statewide strike, known as “Odisha Bandh,” scheduled for October 8. Bhakta Charan Das, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, announced the strike on Tuesday. The protest aims to address several demands, including the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, and the resignations of State School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
During a press conference, Das outlined the three main demands of the India Block: the revocation of the MMDR Amendment Act, the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar due to alleged misconduct, and the resignation of Minister Nityananda Gond.
Das also revealed that the India Block had planned to surround the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday. However, he accused the state government of postponing the session indefinitely due to fears of protests, even though it was originally scheduled to run until October 3.
He emphasized that the movement would intensify, with the strike extending from the capital Bhubaneswar to every village in Odisha. Thousands of activists from all political parties within the India Block are expected to participate.
In the meantime, the India Block held a significant “Parivartan Rally” in Bhubaneswar, led by the Odisha Congress. The rally addressed issues related to the MMDR Amendment Act, mistakes in school textbooks, and alleged irregularities in the electoral process, calling for the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Participants included members and leaders from various parties, such as Congress, CPI, CPI (M), CPI (ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), SP, and RJD. Following a large protest gathering, demonstrators marched towards the Chief Minister‘s residence to voice their concerns. Senior leaders from Congress and other political parties addressed the rally participants.
In a related development, the opposition Biju Janata Dal also organized a massive protest rally in Bhubaneswar on Monday, demanding the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026.
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