Bhubaneswar, May 3: The votes might be embedded in the chips of the electronic voting machines (EVM) across Orissa till May 13, but that has not stopped the ruling Biju Janata Dal-BJP combine and the Congress from making poll predictions.

While BJD chief and caretaker chief minister Naveen Patnaik exudes confidence that he will return to power, Orissa PCC chief J.B. Patnaik feels that the BJD-BJP alliance will be forced to sit in the Opposition as had happened in 1995 when late Biju Patnaik was sunk by an anti-incumbency wave belying all pre-poll prediction.

The exit poll conducted by NDTV had predicted that the ruling alliance would get between 90 and 105 seats in the Assembly.

The exit poll conducted by The Telegraph and Star News predicted that the BJD-BJP would ride back to power bagging around 85 to 90 seats in the Assembly.

Riding a strong anti-incumbency wave, the ruling alliance had won 106 seats in the 2000 Assembly election.

However, J.B. Patnaik would have none of it and claimed that the Congress would get at least 80 seats in the 147-member Assembly.

The Congress leader added that the party would get no less than 11 seats in the Lok Sabha.

“People are fed up with the non-performance of the Naveen government. This was evident from the public mood even before the election was announced,” said the 79-year-old Congress veteran, who almost emerged from oblivion to lead the Congress.

Ridiculing the Congress’ claims, Naveen said the alliance will win all the 21 Lok Sabha seats.

In the Assembly election, the BJD-BJP combine romped home with more than 100 seats, he claimed.

Despite the rosy projections by politicians from both sides, all of them seemed to lose their sleep over the results.

While the BJD-BJP alliance is expected to lose about 20 seats due to a mild anti-incumbency wave coupled with the presence of rebels, Congress leaders are not sure of their performance either.

On the other hand, the alliance leaders are not too sure as no coalition government in Orissa has ever won a second term in office.

The last time a coalition ruled the state was in 1971 when the Swatantra Party and Utkal Congress coalition came to power decimating the Congress. In 1971, the state saw simultaneous polls to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha.

The largely illiterate electorate had given contrasting verdicts for the two elections.

While the Indira Gandhi-led Congress won 16 of the 20 seats in the Lok Sabha, it could win only 50 of the 140 Assembly seats.