Odisha exit polls: BJD on course for a majority, BJP tally to increase

While BJP profits from split voting, BJD still reigns in rural pockets

National exit polls show Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) losing ground to the BJP in the Lok Sabha slugfest, but the regional satrap is seen coasting home for a fifth consecutive term in Odisha. 

An Odisha-centric exit poll jointly done by Sambad, the most circulated regional daily in the state, and Kanak News, its Group-owned TV channel, gives the BJD a massive lead over its closest rival 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