Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal on Friday accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his council of Ministers in order to enable the formation of a new Council of Ministers. (Also read: BJP Makes Inroads in Odisha, Bengal, Puts up Spirited Fight in UP)
In Odisha, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) bagged 112 of the 147 Assembly seats, returning to power for the fifth time in a row. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik won from Hinjili in Ganjam district.
The BJP improved on its 2014 performance when it got just ten seats and clinched 23 seats while the Congress bagged just nine seats.
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The BJD saw most of its ministers, including S N Patro, Usha Devi, Bikram Keshari Arukh, Prafulla Samal and Nrusingha Sahu, successfully register wins.
The saffron party is poised to emerge as the main opposition in the state. However, unlike in most other states where the NDA appear in command, in Odisha, the BJP would be reduced to a feeble opposition. Yet, the saffron party can pat itself on the back for its massive improvement from the last Assembly elections.
State minister Prafulla Samal has pocketed the Bhandaripokhari seat by defeating Patnaik by 8859 votes.
State Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik put in his papers after the party’s dismal performance. He told reporters, “I have sent my resignation to AICC president (Rahul Gandhi) owning moral responsibility for the party’s poor show in both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the state.”
The CPI(M) has been able to bag just one seat in the state while Independent candidate Makaranda Muduli won from Rayagada constituency
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