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BJD-BJP inches towards landslide victory in Orissa

Bibhuti Mishra in Bhubaneshwar

The Bharatiya Janata Party-Biju Janata Dal combine is inching towards a landslide victory in Orissa.

The Congress is facing a complete rout and most of its senior leaders may bite the dust.

Of the 47 results that have been declared, the BJD has won in 21 seats, the BJP has bagged 16, the Congress 5 and four seats have gone to others.

In the rest of the seats, the BJD is leading on 46, the BJP on 22, the Congress on 22 and others 10.

The first result in the state has gone in favour of the BJP, whose candidate Maheshwar Mohanty has defeated independent Umaballav Rath by more than 23,000 votes. Rath is a Congress rebel.

Most of the Congress bigwigs including J B Patnaik, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief are trailing. Patnaik is trailing in Athgarh by about 5000 votes.

In Bhubaneswar, Bishwabhushan Harichandan of the BJP has established a lead of about 50,000 over his Congress rival Jagannath Mohapatra, chairman of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal, however, has won by a handsome margin in Laikera. He defeated his nearest rival Brundaban Majhi of the BJP.

Assembly Election 2000

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