Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) president Pyarimohan Mohapatra, who had predicted a vast majority for the BJD to form Government in 2009, in Friday claimed that no party would get a majority to form Government in the State this time.
Mohapatra said the BJD would get hardly 60 to 65 seats while main Opposition Congress would bag 35 to 40 seats and the BJP only 25 to 30 seats. The others would get the remaining seats, he said. “The State will see a different equation during formation of the new Government,” said Mohapatra.
The BJP, which is aspiring for overwhelming results in its favour, pooh-poohed the claim of the BJD to form Government with a landslide majority. While contacted, BJP State spokesperson Suresh Pujari said his party would surprise its opponents when the results are out. “Just wait, let the result come. Particularly, Naveen Patnaik will be surprised,” said Pujari.
PCC president Jayadev Jena and party campaign committee chief Srikant Jena have claimed that the party has done very good job in the elections and received overwhelming support from people.
On the other hand, former PCC president Niranjan Patnaik said the people were in the favour of a positive change in the State, but the Opposition parties like the Congress and the BJP could not come up with a great force to steal the show. BJD vice-president Kalpataru Das refused to buy the story of a hung Assembly and reiterated his party supremo Naveen Patnaik’s claim “The BJD will do very well in the election”.