Odisha is heading towards a political upheaval with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surpassing majority in the 147-seat Assembly to put brakes on the two-and-half-a-decade juggernaut of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government in the coastal state if the latest trend from the counting of votes is any indication.
The end of the regime seems imminent as the BJP is likely to form its maiden government in the state.
Of the 147 Assembly seats, for which the counting of votes is currently underway, the BJP is leading in 76 against the BJD in 53 seats followed by Congress (16) and others (2).
The saffron party, which has never been in power in the state, has crossed the simple majority mark of 74. However, it is too early to predict that it will hold on to the lead given the fact that in several constituencies the poll battle is neck-to-neck with the vote margin between the rival contestants being thin.
In the event of the BJD being dethroned by the voters, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s dream of being the longest-serving chief minister ever to rule a state will be blown to smithereens.
The 77-year-old Patnaik hardly required 78 days more to enter into record books to surpass the longest tenure as chief minister, a record held by former chief minister of Sikkim Pawan Kumar Chamling.