Team Blitz India
It’s a saffron surge in Odisha, as per the trends available so far,the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has crossed the majority mark in the state assembly elections. BJP is leading in 77 out of 145 seats, while Naveen Patnaik’s BJD is ahead on 53. The Congress is leading only on 12 seats.
If these trends hold, the BJPis set to form the next government, ending Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year rule in the eastern state. Patnaik, who was looking for a record fifth term, appears to have lost the grip in the state as he himself is trailing in one of the seats he is contesting. Patnaik is trailing in Kantabanji, and while leading in Hinjili with a narrow margin.
In the Lok Sabha election, the saffron party has swept Odisha, by taking a lead on 18 of 21 seats. The BJD, which bagged 12 in 2019, is ahead only on 2, and Congress is leading on 1.
BJP’s state chief Manmohan Samal is ahead of BJD’s Byomkesh Ray from Chandabali. Odisha’s Congress chief Sarat Pattanayak, who is contesting from Nuapada, is trailing against BJD’s Rajendra Dholakia.
