Odisha Exit Poll 2019: BJD may return to power, BJP to cross double-digit mark

With major national exit polls predicting the loss of ground for the Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and a major suffron surge in the state of Odisha in the Lok Sabha Polls but the regional satrap is seen coasting home for a fifth consecutive term in the state.
According to the exit poll conducted by Sambad, the most circulated regional daily in the state, and Kanak News, its Group-owned TV channel predict a humoungous lead of BJD over BJP. 

Sampling a survey of over 100,000 respondents, the exit poll forecasts BJD winning 85-95 of the 147 Assembly seats, where outcomes were polled till this report was filed. The BJP is seen contending with a distant second spot with 25-34 seats. Congress party’s presence is seen diminishing to 12-15 seats.

The state of Odisha offers 147 assembly seats and a party 74 magic number can form the government. The ruling BJD had won 117 assembly seats in 2014. As far as the national perspective is concerned, the exit poll conducted by the News Nation shows the massive growth of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP’s seats are likely to rise from 1 to 8-10 seats. The exit poll also predicts that the  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) may manage to win 11-13 Lok Sabha seats. Congress, on the other hand, may drop to zero seat in Odisha.

However, both BJD and BJP hope that they will do better than what the exit poll surveys have predicted. Prasanna Acharya, BJD’s Rajya Sabha member, says, “We should wait for the results. Such polls have gone wrong in the past. Our own assessment is that BJD will do well both in the Lok Sabha and the assembly elections.”

On the other hand, BJP national secretary Suresh Pujari says, “These exit polls give broad trends about BJP making massive gains across the country. I am sure the results of the state assembly will also be spectacular for us.”

Congress veteran Narasingha Mishra remarks, “If the exit poll results are to be believed, the people have indeed taken a conscious decision to vote for the NDA at the Centre and BJD in the state. But these are merely indicative and may not turn out to be true.”