BJD, BJP dismiss exit poll predictions for nation and Odisha

With most of the exit polls indicating a fifth consecutive term for Naveen Patnaik-led BJD in Odisha and substantial gains for BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, both the rival parties Monday refused to accept the predictions, claiming the results on May 23 will be different.

Majority of the exit polls have projected that BJP would win more than half of the total 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha and the BJD getting reduced to single digit.

The prediction throws a major surprise as in 2014, the BJD had bagged 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state while the saffron party had one seat of Union Minister Jual Oram in its kitty.

In the Assembly election, Naveen Patanik's party, is ahead as per the exit polls forecast.

Last time, BJD had secured 117 seats in the 147 member Odisha Assembly. The BJP could win in 10 seats in the assembly while Congress had 16 MLAs.

BJP state unit president Basant Panda and Union Minister Jual Oram claimed that the saffron party will form government in Odisha by securing more than 70 of the 147 seats in the assembly.

"We are confident that BJP will form government both at the Centre and in Odisha. Our own assessment shows BJP will win more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, while over 70 party candidates will register victory in Odisha assembly polls," Oram said.

"A strong Modi wave was sweeping across the country and the voters were highly impressed with the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," both Panda and Oram said.

The state's main opposition party - the Congress, on its part claimed that its performace this time will be much better than its 2014 election show.

Dismissing exit poll predictions about the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) performance, party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member P K Deb said: We are certain that BJD will secure two-third majority in the Assembly and repeat its last time performance in the Lok Sabha.

Another BJD spokesman Sasmit Patra said: Preditions made in exit polls on BJD's performance were proved wrong in the past. In 2009, the exit polls had said that BJD would win 6 Lok Sabha seats while we got 14. Similarly in 2014, they (exit polls) projected 14 seats for BJD, the party candidate won in 20 Lok Sabha segments."
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Niranjan Patnaik, however, said: "Neither we accept or reject the exit poll predictions. Many times their (exit poll) predictions turned out to be wrong and at times correct. Therefore, it is not the exact poll results."