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The India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicts a close race in the Odisha Assembly elections, with both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) likely to win a significant number of seats.
The exit poll predicts that the BJD, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, may see its tally fall considerably and is likely to get 62 to 80 seats. This could be the first time since 2004 that the BJD might not get an absolute majority in the state assembly.
The BJP, on the other hand, is likely to gain political ground in Odisha with the exit poll predicting 62 to 80 seats for the party in the 147-seat Assembly. If the exit poll holds true, this would be a significant gain for the BJP, which has been trying to make inroads into Odisha for some time.
The exit poll also predicts that the Congress is likely to get five to eight seats, while the rest of the seats are likely to be shared by smaller parties and independents.
The elections on 147 Assembly seats in Odisha were held in four phases -- May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The assembly elections were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
In the previous Assembly elections in 2019, the BJD had emerged as the single-largest party with 112 seats, while the BJP had emerged as the second-largest party with 23 seats. The Congress had won nine seats.
The BJP is also likely to gain decisive numbers in the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, as per the exit poll. The BJP is projected to win 18-20 seats while the BJD may only win 0-2 seats, according to India Today-Axis My India exit poll.
The BJD, led by Naveen Patnaik, contested all 147 seats, while the BJP, led by Manmohan Samal, also contested all 147 seats. The Congress, led by Sarat Pattanayak, contested 145 seats.
Odisha saw a bitter political campaign with the BJP and the BJD, former allies, hurling salvos at each other. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP centred their attack around Naveen Patnaik's health, his aide VK Pandian being a non-Odia and bringing up the issue Odia pride.
On the other hand, the BJD pegged its campaign around the welfare works and schemes of the Naveen Patnaik government.
Source: Odisha dead heat, 62-80 seats for Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, BJP: Axis My India poll