Odisha Assembly Election Exit Poll Results 2024: An era may be coming to an end in Odisha as Axis My India has predicted 62-80 of 147 assembly seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A party will need 74 seats to form the government on its own in Bhubaneshwar.
If the close contest goes in favour of the BJP, it will be the end of Chief Minister Naveen Patanaik's 25-year rule in Odisha.
The BJD President, who is seeking a record fifth term, is expected to win an equal number of seats (62-80) with a 42 per cent vote share. The BJP is also expected to get 42 per cent of the votes - a surge of 10 per cent from 32 per cent in 2019.
But when asked how had a real chance of winning Odisha, Axis My India MD Pradeep Gupta said: "My best estimate is that the BJP is ahead of the BJD."
The Congress, another force in the eastern state, is likely to get 5-8 seats with 12 per cent votes, according to Axis My India.
While BJP and BJD are neck-and-neck in assembly seats, the saffron party is likely to sweep Odisha by winning 18-20 of 21 Lok Sabah seats in 2024. In 2019, the BJP had 8 seats, while BJD bagged 12.