Bhubaneswar: A crucial meeting of the INDIA bloc was held today at Congress Bhawan here to ensure the successful observance of the Odisha Bandh October 8. The meeting discussed the final preparations for the Bandh, coordination at the district and block levels, ensuring that the Bandh is observed in a completely peaceful manner by mobilising all democratic and secular forces across the state. Leaders of the constituent parties of the INDIA Bloc, including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML)-Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, RJD and JMM, participated in the meeting. The meeting stated that the Bandh has been called to safeguard democratic rights, the interests of Odisha, rights of its citizens and the constitutional values of the country. The meeting appealed all Op position parties, Left forces, mass organisations, workers, farmers, lawyers, youth, students and the people at large to actively participate in and make the Bandh successful.
The major demands of the Opposition include complete repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityanan da Gond, and immediate provision of adequate relief and rehabilitation assistance to all flood-affected people in the state. The INDIA Bloc has appealed for cooperation in keeping public transport, including buses, trucks and auto-rickshaws, commercial establishments, courts, markets, shops, and government and private offices closed. Essential services including hospitals, ambulances, fire services, medicine shops, milk supply and other emergency services will remain exempt from the Bandh. The INDIA Bloc has appealed to all democratic and secular political parties, workers’ and farmers’ organisations, student and youth organisations, lawyers’ associations, the business community and the general public across the state to make the Bandh a resounding success and strengthen the democratic struggle. The meeting was presided over by senior Congress leader and state vice-president Santosh Singh Saluja. Among those present were CPI state secretary Prashant Kumar Mishra, CPI(M) state secretary Suresh Chandra Panigrahy, CPI(ML)-Liberation state secretary Yudhisthir Mahapatra, Forward Bloc state general secretary Jyoti Ran jan Mahapatra, NCP (Sharad Pawar) state president Bikram Swain, Samajwadi Party state general secretary Ramakanta Hati, and RJD general secretary Hemanta Kumar. Senior leaders including Jayanta Das, Badri Narayan Dash, Siddhartha Swarup Das and Arabinda Das, among others, were also present at the meeting.
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