Bhubaneswar, Sep 29 — The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Tuesday announced a statewide strike ‘Odisha Bandh’ by the political parties of the India Bloc on October 8 over various demands, including the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, the resignation of state School and Mass Education (S&ME) minister Nityananda Gond and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Speaking to media persons, the OPCC president said, “The political parties of the INDIA bloc are protesting over three demands, including the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, the resignation and arrest of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and Odisha’s education minister Nityananda Gond’s resignation.”
He further said that the INDIA bloc had planned to gherao the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday. Das alleged that the state government, fearing the protest, adjourned the session sine die, even though it was scheduled to continue until October 3.
“So, the agitation will intensify further, and Odisha, from the capital Bhubaneswar to every village, will remain shut down on October 8. Thousands of workers of all the INDIA bloc political parties will court arrest,” said the OPCC president.
Meanwhile, the political parties of the INDIA bloc, led by the Odisha Congress, on Tuesday held a massive protest rally, 'Parivartan Rally' in Bhubaneswar against the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, the resignation of state School and Mass Education (S&ME) minister Nityanand Gond over the school textbook error issue and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over alleged electoral process irregularities.
The members and leaders of Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP-Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party and RJD from across the state participated in the Parivartan Rally.
After a huge protest meeting at the Lower PMG, the protestors marched towards the Chief Minister’s residence to stage a gherao to register their protest. Senior leaders from Congress and other political parties addressed the workers at the protest meeting.
Tension prevailed at Lower PMG as protesters clashed with police after they were stopped from marching ahead. To bring the situation under control, security personnel later detained several senior leaders and workers of the India bloc and took them away from the protest site.
It is worth mentioning here that the opposition Biju Janata Dal also organised a massive protest rally in Bhubaneswar demanding the repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026 on Monday.