Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal looks set to form its government for a fifth straight term, negating a Modi wave that is sweeping the country, with its candidates leading in 111 of the state's 146 seats as of 3 P.M.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi—who has himself renewed his term with the general election sweep—congratulated Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the BJD's success in 2019 Assembly elections.
"Congratulations to Naveen Babu for yet another victory in Odisha. Wishing him the very best for the next term," Modi said in a twitter post following BJD's march towards forming government in the state for the fifth time in a row.
BJD appears set to script history in the state with a record fifth consecutive victory in the assembly polls. The Naveen Patnaik-led party has been on a winning spree since 2000.
The Bharatiya Janata Party appears set to emerge as the main opposition party, with its nominees leading in 22 assembly seats, while Congress was ahead in 11 and CPI-M and JMM in one seat each. Polling in Patkura assembly seat has been postponed twice following the death of a candidate and later due to cyclone Fani.
The ruling BJD is also leading in 14 of the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, while BJP is ahead in seven parliamentary seats. Patnaik was leading in his home turf Hinjili as well as Bijepur assembly segments.
In the 2014 polls, the BJD had bagged 117 of the 147 assembly seats and 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats.
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