Dama Rout Predicts Hung Assembly In Odisha, Unsure About Own Fate

Bhubaneswar: BJP leader Damodar Rout on Sunday said he was not sure about his fate in the Assembly elections.

“I can’t say about the results of the Balikuda-Erasama Assembly election. I have a feeling that somewhere something is wrong. But my supporters say that I will win by a margin of 4,000-5,000 votes,” the veteran leader told mediapersons here.

He, however, said that the BJD will win the Paradip seat and the BJP will win from Tirtol.

Talking about the overall results of the Assembly elections, Dama said the BJD will get over 60 of the 147 seats but cannot touch the magic figure of 73 seats. The BJP will win in 50-55 seats, while the Congress will capture 25-30 seats, he said.

“As no party will be able to secure a majority, it is most likely that there will be a hung Assembly this time,” he said.

Referring to the Lok Sabha elections, Dama said out of 21 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP will get 13-14 seats.

Asked about the possibility of a coalition government in Odisha, he said BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has no political ethics and ideals, might prefer to ally with the Congress to form a government in the state.