BJP confident of forming next govt in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: As all the exit polls indicated bigs gain for the BJP in Odisha both in Lok Sabha and Assembly, the saffron party leaders on Monday claimed that they were confident to form the government in the state.

“As per the survey by our party, we will form the government both at the Centre and Odisha. The party will get over 300 seats in Lok Sabha and we will form the government in Odisha by winning over 70 MLA seats,” said Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram after attending a State-level workshop in Bhubaneswar.

“We had 120-plus mission in Odisha. I can’t predict the exact number but we will win more than 70 Assembly and 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state,” Mr Oram added.

State BJP president Basant Panda also exuded confidence that the party would be voted to power both in Centre and Odisha.

“As all the exit polls are showing that the BJP will win the majority to retain the power in 2019 polls, we will also form the government here,” Mr Panda said.

“If the exit poll surveys by various agencies prove accurate, the BJP will be the leading party to form the government at the Centre. As the slogan Phir ek baar Modi sarkar is going to bear the fruits, we will see the change of government in Odisha and we will get the majority here,” he said.

The BJD, however, claimed it would perform better this time and the claim of the BJP had no basis at all. “Let the BJP leaders live in fool’s paradise till May 23 when counting will take place. The BJD will win nothing less than 20 Lok Sabha seats and 105 Assembly seats in Odisha. We will surely form the government for the fifth consecutive term,” said BJD leader Subash Singh.

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