Bhubaneswar, June 4: Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha was seen leading on 24 seats as per early counting trends while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved its way to the halfway mark with 43 seats as trends of the Assembly elections the Election Commission of India said on Tuesday.

As per data by the poll body out of the 147 Assembly constituencies, the Indian National Congress (INC) was leading on five seats and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) was ahead on one seat in Odisha about two hours after counting of votes started today at 8 am.

Voting in Odisha concluded on June 1, along with the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls. The assembly polls in Odisha were conducted simultaneously along with the parliamentary elections.

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das had on June 3 dissolved the 16th Odisha state assembly ahead today's counting.

According to exit poll predictions, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to double its tally in Odisha in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP is making an effort to enter the bastion of Biju Janata Dal.

The exit polls also predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised to retain power at the Centre with a thumping majority and register its third straight win in the Lok Sabha polls.

 (ANI)