In what can be described as a historic upset, the 24-year-long tenure of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to come to an end, with the aggressive Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) poised to form government with a narrow majority in Odisha.
By 8 p.m., the BJP won 35 seats while its candidates had extended their victory margin on another 42 seats. The halfway mark for forming the government is 74 in 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly.
Strong anti-incumbency sentiments coupled with widespread ire against the dominance of V.K. Pandian, the Tamil Nadu-born former bureaucrat in governance and party affairs, had brought down the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) citadel in the eastern State.
Production: Yuvasree S
