Ruling BJD in Orissa surged ahead of other parties as trends were available in the elections to the 147-member state assembly today with its candidates leading in at least 65 constituencies.
Congress candidates had established early leads in 24 assembly seats while BJP nominees were ahead of their rivals in 13 seats, according to trends available after second round of counting.
Other candidates, including Independents, were leading in six constituencies. Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik was leading over his nearest Congress candidate Raghab Parida in the Hinjili assembly constituency in Ganjam district.
Senior BJD leaders including Damodar Rout, Bishnu Das and Bikram Keshari Arukh were leading in the Paradip, Jagatsinghpur and Bhanjanagar assembly seats respectively. Congress candidates were leading in Malkangiri, Kuchinda and Sanakhemundi constituencies, while party nominee Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, son-in-law of party strongman and former chief minister J B Patnaik, was trailing in Khandapara assembly seat.
Congress nominee had also established early leads in Sundargarh and Bonai assembly seats.
Bikram Keshari Arukh (BJD) was leading by about 1500 votes over his nearest Congress rival Debi Prasad Bishoyee in Bhanjanagar assembly constituency in Orissa at the end of first round of counting.
In Chikiti assembly constituency, Usha Devi(BJD) was leading by around 200 votes over nearest Congress opponent Chintamani Dyansamantara.Ramesh Chandra Jena(Cong) was leading by about 400 votes against his nearest BJP rival Kishore Chandra Singhdeo in Sanakhemundi assembly constituency.