OdishaPlus Bureau
Many of Sunday’s exit polls show Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal is coming back to power for a fifth consecutive term in Odisha. While these polls give a rising tally to the BJP, all have predicted a gloomy future of the Niranjan Patnaik-led Congress.
The poll jointly conducted by Sambad and Kanak News(S-KN) gives the BJD a massive lead over its closest rival BJP. The survey forecasts BJD winning 85-95 of the 147 Assembly seats.The BJP is seen contending with a distant second spot with 25-34 seats. The Congress may win just 12-15 seats. The survey sounds a death blow to Congress which hasn’t been able to recover in the past two years. The sample size was, however, limited to just a lakh respondents.
Similarly, India TV-CNX Exit Poll says that Biju Janata Dal is likely to retain power in Odisha. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is almost certain to serve another term as Chief Minister of Odisha. The exit poll says BJD is likely to win 90-100 seats in the Assembly.
The exit polls for the assembly elections in Odisha present a scenario like this: the BJD retaining power, BJP becoming the main opposition party and the Congress, by finishing a poor third, becoming irrelevant in Odisha politics.
The poll of polls has predicted the Bharatiya Janata Party making gains in the Odisha Assembly Election 2019. Though the BJD is predicted to win the assembly election, it will be a big jump for the BJP which had won just 10 seats in 2014. In the Odisha Assembly Election 2019, the BJP is projected to win 26 of the 147-seat assembly. The poll of polls of Odisha Assembly Election 2019 is a collaborative prediction of Kanak News and News18 Odia.
However, an internal assessment by the BJD has given 105 seats for the party, 10 for BJP, eight for Congress and others. BJD’s survey says there will be a close fight in 23 assembly segments.
With Most of the exit polls giving a thumbs up to the ruling BJD, pre-poll predictions are more or less correct. The widely-held opinion that Naveen Patnaik is invincible in Odisha and he will win another term has come out to be true.
The exit polls for the assembly elections in Odisha present a scenario like this: the BJD retaining power, BJP becoming the main opposition party and the Congress, by finishing a poor third, becoming irrelevant in Odisha politics.
