Bhubaneshwar:  The saffron party is set  to make a strong come back in Odisha. As per trends available so far, the BJP has crossed the majority mark in Odisha by leading in 76 of 145 seats, while Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is on 53. The Congress is leading only in 16 Assembly seats.

If these trends hold, the BJP may form the next government, ending Patnaik’s 24-year rule in the Eastern State. Patnaik, who was looking for a record fifth term, appears to have lost the grip in the State.

In the LS election, the BJP has swept Odisha, by taking a lead in 19 of 21 seats. BJD, which bagged 12 seats in 2019, is ahead only in 1 while Congress is leading in 1.