BJP has emerged victorious in the tug-of-war for Odisha, securing the mandate to form the next government. Despite Chief Minister Patnaik's strong presence through various rallies and election campaigns, the saffron party has surpassed the majority mark of 74 seats, leading in 80 seats, while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) trails with 50 leads. Additionally, the Congress has secured 14 seats, with one seat each for the CPI-M and INDI Alliance.

The assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha were conducted simultaneously across four phases from May 13 to June 1. Odisha, with 21 Lok Sabha seats, includes constituencies reserved for SC and ST candidates. In the previous 2019 elections, the BJD won 12 seats, the BJP secured eight, and the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to win just one seat in the Lok Sabha.

In the Odisha Assembly, comprising 147 seats, a majority is achieved with 74 seats. In the 2019 Odisha Assembly Election, the BJD secured a decisive victory by winning 113 seats, thereby maintaining its governance of the state. The BJP emerged as the principal opposition party with 23 seats in the Assembly. Meanwhile, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJD secured 12 seats, the BJP won 8 seats, and the INC obtained 1 seat.

The main political parties in contention in Odisha are the Biju Janata Dal, Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), contesting for 147, 147, 145, and 7 seats respectively. Naveen Patnaik, Odisha's Chief Minister, has held office for over 24 years.

In the ongoing counting process for the Odisha Assembly polls, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the BJD is leading in the Hinjili Assembly seat with 3,861 votes, surpassing his BJP rival Sisir Kumar Mishra. However, Patnaik is trailing in the Kantabanji seat, where the BJP candidate is currently leading with 3,283 ballots.

As the vote counting continues, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently leading in 78 seats, while the ruling BJD is trailing behind with 48 seats, and the Congress is leading in 13. Additionally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) is ahead in only one seat, while Independent candidates are leading in three.

Naveen Patnaik's BJD is facing a setback as it trails in 47 Assembly seats, indicating a potential defeat for the party after its 27-year-long tenure in power.

Notably, the BJP has emerged victorious in the Chilika and Bargarh Assembly seats in Odisha and is currently leading on 80 seats. Candidates fielded by the party, namely Prithviraj Harichandran and Ashwini Kumar Sarangi, have secured victories in Chilika and Bargarh, respectively.

In terms of overall results, the BJP has clinched nine seats in the Odisha Assembly polls, while both the BJD and Congress have secured one seat each.

Image source: Business Today