Odia Asmita Plank Pays Dividends For BJP, Inches Close To Forming Govt In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appeared all set to be in a position to form the next government in Odisha as 80 of its Assembly candidates have established comfortable leads while counting of votes was in progress.

As per the latest data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), BJP candidates were ahead of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in 80 Assembly seats. The regional party has established lead in 50 Assembly seats.

While Congress candidates were leading in 15 Assembly seats, CPI(M) was ahead in one seat. Independent candidate was ahead in one seat.

A political party requires to win 74 seats in the 147-member Assembly to be able to form government in the state. Having crossed the midway mark, the BJP seems to be moving towards forming government in the state.

The saffron party will be scripting history as it inches towards forming government on its own in the state for the first time. The BJP had earlier shared power in Odisha as a coalition partner with the BJD from 2000 to 2009.

While Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik was leading in both Hinjili and Kantabanji Assembly constituencies, many heavyweight leaders of the ruling party including at least eight Ministers were trailing.

Naveen has been the chief minister of Odisha since 2000. He was aiming at sixth term this time to become India’s longest-serving Chief Minister, breaking former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling’s record.

In the 2019 elections, the BJD had won a comfortable majority by winning 112 seats. The BJP had then won 23 seats of the total 147 assembly seats in Odisha.

Assembly elections were held in Odisha simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in four phases between May 13 and June 1.