Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo Swatantra Party Bishwanath Das Independent Elections to the fifth Odisha Legislative Assembly were held in 1971.

Congress party emerged again as the winner by winning 40% of the seats with a vote share of 28.74%.

The United Front a coalition of Swatantra Party who won 36 Assembly seats and the new regional party Utkal Congress who won 33 Assembly seats formed the government under the leadership of Independent candidate Bishwanath Das.

[2] Das resigned on June 14, 1972, due to defection of a large number of members from the ruling coalition and on same day Nandini Satpathy of the Indian National Congress formed the government and continued till March 1973.

Nandini Satpathy ousted due in-fighting of the members after which there was imposition of President's rule in the state.