In the fourth to the seventh phases of Lok Sabha elections, Odisha had voting for all its 21 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. In phase four it was about at 75.68%, in phase five it was about at 73.50%, in phase six it was around at 74.45% and in phase seven it stood at approximately 70.67%.
There has also been a State Assembly election happening concurrently in the state where Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) are fighting each other like cats and dogs.
The major battlefields for who will represent Odisha’s Lok Sabha seats are expected to be between BJD, a regional party, and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). INC-led Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance or INDIA runs candidates on all these seats as well. INDIA has fielded candidates from INC in twenty constituencies of these along with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) having one.
While Odisha is considered as a strong hold of BJD, BJP is making steady in-roads into the state. In 2014 BJD had won twenty seats and BJP only got one seat however by then BJP had grown eight times more than before. Also in that year’s general election BJD clinched twelve positions while INC took only one. This is indicative of increasing power of national parties over local ones across India as well.
