The high-voltage election for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats concluded in Odisha on Saturday.

Now the talking point is whether chief minister Naveen Patnaik will return to power for the sixth time and become India’s longest-serving chief minister.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is confident of returning to power and getting more seats than 2019. In 2019, the party won 113 of the 147 Assembly seats and 12 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide V.K. Pandian claimed the BJD would win more than 115 Assembly seats and 15 Lok Sabha seats. He wrote on X: “The BJD is winning 85 assembly seats after 3rd phase polls and with the 4th phase today, it will end up winning more than 115 seats out of a total 147 and 15 lok sabha seats out of 21; and form government with more than ¾ majority as stated by party spokesperson.”

The BJP said the ruling party would face a rout at the hands of the voters of Odisha. The wind of parivartan (change) is noticeable in Odisha, they said.

The BJD, however, remained focused on creating awareness about its welfare schemes such as old age pensions delivered to people at the doorsteps, empowering women through Mission Shakti, offering scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students and, most importantly, the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) cards that allow men to avail free treatment in any hospital for up to ₹5 lakh and up to ₹10 lakh for women.

The BJD also promised zero electricity bills from July 1, a pension for all women self-help group members, and universal coverage of the BSKY.