Bhubaneswar: A day after joining an INDIA bloc protest in New Delhi seeking the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, BJD found itself at the centre of a political storm on Wednesday over its shifting stand on the Odisha bandh called by Congress and Left parties on Thursday. The bandh has been called to press for the CEC’s resignation, repeal of the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2026, and action over alleged errors in school textbooks.Confusion began when BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik initially told mediapersons that the party would support the bandh, citing its participation in the opposition rally in Delhi. However, she later appeared to backtrack, asking, “Why should we support their bandh?”Seeking to clarify the party’s position, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the party would neither support nor oppose the shutdown. “As we focus on the rights of the people of Odisha, we remain equidistant from both BJP and Congress,” Mohanty said.He said BJD had already launched agitations against the MMDR Amendment Act, protested against publication of textbooks containing massive errors and joined the opposition march in Delhi over the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise. “Every party is free to carry out its political activities. We are charting our own course,” he said.Meanwhile, Congress leader and former MLA Santosh Singh Saluja termed BJD’s stand “confused”. “The party has generally supported BJP. It was surprising that it joined INDIA bloc protest in Delhi,” he said.State BJP president Manmohan Samal questioned BJD’s change of stance. “The BJD should explain why it first announced support and then withdrew it. Under whose pressure was the decision changed? It lacks clarity,” he said. Samal, however, dismissed the impact of the bandh and said opposition unity would only strengthen BJP govt.Members of Congress and Left parties took out mobilisation rallies in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday ahead of the statewide shutdown. While BJD held an economic blockade in Sundargarh in protest against the MMDR Act, Congress held a protest rally in Keonjhar pressing for repeal of the Act.