BJP set to form its first government in Odisha; setback for CM Naveen Patnaik

Odisha's 5-time CM Naveen Patnaik

In a big setback to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJP is in pole position in the state and is set to win 78 out of the 147 seats in the assembly. The half-way mark is 74.

Patnaik's BJD has managed to win 51 constituencies, in a big fall from 112 in the previous assembly elections.

Congress is on course to win 15 seats in the state.

In the 2019 election, Patnaik stormed to power after winning 112 seats while BJP managed to win just 23.

BJP has been gaining ground in Odisha - both in assembly and Lok Sabha elections - over the last few years.

If the party manages to hold on to leads, it will be the first time that BJP forms a government in Odisha - in a critical breakthrough in the coastal state.