12-Hour INDIA Bloc Bandh Disrupts Normal Life Across Odisha

Transportation services were significantly affected, with workers of communist parties, the Congress and other opposition groups blocking National and State Highways at several locations. Protesters burned tyres on roads and staged picketing at key points in cities across the state, while Youth Congress workers also organised bike rallies.

Passenger buses, auto-rickshaws and trucks largely stayed off the roads during the bandh. Train services were also disrupted at some locations for several hours, with reports of scuffles between security personnel and INDIA bloc workers who attempted to stop train operations at railway stations.

Hundreds of vehicles were left stranded on highways, causing considerable inconvenience to commuters. Private institutions, commercial establishments and other businesses in major cities also remained closed in response to the shutdown.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said the bandh was being observed peacefully across the state and claimed that people were extending their support to the protest.

According to Das, the shutdown was organised around four key demands: the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, repeal of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2026, the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over alleged errors in textbooks, and immediate relief and compensation for people affected by the recent floods in the state.

“The impact of the bandh is more visible in rural areas than in cities. Schools, colleges, institutions, markets and transportation services have been affected across the state,” Das said.

He added that some relaxation had been provided in Bhubaneswar to minimise inconvenience to tourists and people arriving from outside Odisha. Emergency services were also permitted to function during the shutdown.

Das said the opposition parties were committed to maintaining peace during the protest. “We are observing the bandh peacefully and following the path of Mahatma Gandhi. There will be no violence,” he said, adding that he had repeatedly appealed to party workers and supporters to maintain calm.

He warned that the agitation could be intensified and expanded over the next two months if the state government failed to respond to the four demands.