The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken significant leads in five key constituencies in Odisha: Bargarh, Kalahandi, Balangir, Puri, and Keonjhar, while the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has secured an early lead in Jharsuguda. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP currently leads in eight seats, while the BJD has a lead in five. Independent candidate Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is also ahead in Ghasipura. Odisha, traditionally a stronghold of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, is witnessing a closely contested election as the BJP seeks to make gains in both the Assembly and General elections. Exit polls indicate a potential shift, with ABP-CVoter predicting 17-19 seats for the BJP and India Today-My Axis forecasting 18-20 seats.