Vacant President's rule Nilamani Routray Janata Party Elections to the seventh Odisha Legislative Assembly were held 1977.

[2] In 1974, Utkal Congress merged into Bharatiya Lok Dal to form Odisha Janata Party.

Odisha Janata Party includes Indian National Congress (O) – where "O" stood for "Organisation" or "Old", Samyukta Socialist Party and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh had formed a coalition called the "Grand Alliance" to oppose Indira Gandhi and the Congress (R) and the alliance was named as Janata Party.

The Janata Party emerged again as the winner by winning 78% of the seats with a vote share of 49%.

Nilamani Routray become the Chief Minister of the state.