Bhubaneswar: The BJD is projected to win 18 out of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats, according to a survey conducted by The Quint.
The survey also says the BJD could secure around 50 per cent of votes in the state, 25 per cent more than what the BJP will garner. Going by the survey, the BJD seems set to enjoy a huge lead in Jagatsinghpur, Berhampur, Cuttack and Kandhamal.
Odisha had withstood the Narendra Modi wave in 2014, when the BJD won 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made several visits to the state in the recent past and the BJP feels it can make major gains there. There has even been speculation that Modi could contest from a Lok Sabha seat in the state.
Despite the increased activity by the BJP, Naveen is not showing any signs of desperation. He recently announced that the BJD would give 33 per cent of tickets to women candidates. He has also replaced a number of sitting MPs and MLAs, which many see as his confidence in his party’s prospects.
So, can anything go wrong for Naveen? According to The Quint article, the party needs to watch out for defections, consolidation of Opposition votes close to the elections and split-voting, when voters prefer the BJD for an Assembly seat but vote for the BJP for the Lok Sabha election.
The survey was conducted in February and the situation can change by the time the four phases of polling in Odisha are held.
The BJD could also lose some ground because of leaders like Kendrapara MP Baijyant “Jay” Panda and Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, who have defected to the BJP.
According to the survey by The Quint, the BJD is behind in only three seats: Keonjhar, Sambalpur and Koraput. The BJP is predicted to have a comfortable lead in Keonjhar and a smaller lead in Sambalpur while the Congress seems to be gaining ground in Koraput.
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