Bhubaneswar: Two exit polls have thrown up contradicting numbers for elections to 147 Assembly seats in Odisha, the results of which will be declared on June 4.
While India Today-Axis My India has predicted a hung Assembly in Odisha with equal number of seats in the range of 62-80 and 42 per cent vote share for both the ruling BJD and the main opposition BJP, Times Now-ETG has predicted a sixth consecutive term for Naveen Patnaik as the Chief Minister with a comfortable majority of 100-115 seats for the BJD and 30-38 for the BJP.
Jan Ki Baat has predicted 81 (+-12) seats for BJD and 58 (+-14) seats for BJP.
Axis My India has given 5-8 seats to Congress, EGT Research 4-7 seats and Jan Ki Baat 8 (+-2) seats.
Times Now-ETG prediction seems to be in tune with BJD leader V K Pandian’s claim that the ruling party in Odisha would win more than 115 of the 147 assembly seats. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on the other hand, had said that the BJP expected to win 75 seats in the 147-member Odisha assembly.
The majority mark in the Odisha Assembly is 74.
According to Jan Ki Baat, the BJD’s vote share will be 44% (+-1), BJP’s 42% (+-1) and Congress’ 10% (+-1).
In 2019, BJD had won 112 Assembly seats and BJP 23, leaving nine seats for Congress and two for others. The vote share of BJD, BJP and Congress was 45.2%, 32.8% and 16.3% respectively. The number of seats of BJD later increased to 113 while that of BJP dropped to 22 seats following the bypoll in Balasore.
Also Read: Odisha LS Election: Exit Polls Predict BJP To Be No. 1, BJD Way Behind
On Sunday, the BJD questioned the exit polls that gave 15 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha to BJP, stating that they had got the prediction wrong in 2014 and 2019 elections and the trend would continue this time as well. “We are well poised to retain power in the state with a two-thirds majority in the assembly. Like in 2014 and 2019, this time as well the exit polls will be proved wrong. Based on our surveys, analysis and feedback from the ground level, we expect to win at least 12 Lok Sabha seats and 110 seats in the assembly… we will form a strong and stable government in the state,” said BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra.
State BJP president Manmohan Samal told mediapersons that it would be appropriate to wait till June 4, the counting day.
