Congress has an edge over ruling BJP in tight contest, JD(S) set to be kingmaker
Representational image. News18
Exit polls on Wednesday gave Congress a clear edge over the ruling BJP in the Karnataka Assembly elections. Four exit polls gave the INC a full majority and while others predicted a hung house in which Congress will emerge as the single-largest party.
A few exit polls like News Nations-CGS predicted a majority for the BJP.
The exit polls, which were released after the polling ended in Karnataka on Wednesday, predicted that Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) would not touch the 37 seats it won in the 2018 polls but will continue to be a strong regional player in the state. If no party is able to secure a majority, then JD-S could emerge as the kingmaker.
What exit polls say
According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Congress is poised to win a comfortable majority with 122-140 seats, BJP will get 62-80 seats, JD(S) 20-25 and others 0-3 seats. A party needs 113 seats for a majority in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly.
The poll of polls predicts a hung house with an advantage for the Congress with the party poised to win 107 seats, BJP 92 seats and JD(S) 23.
News24-Today’s Chanakya predicted Congress crossing the halfway mark. It said BJP is poised to win 92 seats, Congress, 120 and JD(S) 12 seats.
Times Now-ETG poll and India TV-CNX poll also predicted Congress hitting the majority mark. Times Now-ETG said BJP is expected to win 85 seats, Congress 113, JD(S) 23 and others three.
India TV-CNX poll gave 80-90 seats to BJP, 110-120 to Congress, JD(S) 20-24 and 1-3 to others.
Republic P-MARQ has predicted that Congress would get a 40 percent vote share, BJP 36 per cent, JD(S) 17 percent and seven percent for independents and others.
The poll predicted that no party would get the majority mark in Karnataka with BJP poised to get 85-100 seats, Congress 94-108, JD(S) 24-32 and others 2-6 seats.
The ABP-C Voter exit poll gave 83-95 seats to BJP, 100-112 to Congress, 21-29 to JD(S) and 2-6 to others.
TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat poll predicted a hung Assembly. It said that BJP would win 88-98 seats, Congress 99-109 seats, JD(S) 21-26 seats and others 0-4 seats.
The Zee News-Matrize exit poll gave a clear advantage to Congress. It predicted BJP getting 79-94 seats, Congress 103-118 seats, JD(S) 25-33 seats and others 2-5 seats.
The News Nation-CGS exit poll predicted a majority for BJP. According to the poll, BJP will win 114 seats, Congress 86, JD(S) 21 and others 3.
Asianet Suvarna News-Jan Ki Baat also predicted that BJP will be ahead of Congress with a better chance of forming the government. As per the exit poll, BJP is expected to get 94-117 seats while Congress would be close second with 91-106 seats.
It said JD(S) is expected to get 14-24 seats, while 0-2 seats would go to other parties.
Both BJP & Congress confident of securing majority
Meanwhile, after exit poll results were announced both Congress and BJP said that they will get the majority. Chief Minister BS Bommai said that exit poll numbers “are not 100% correct.”
He added that BJP will come back to power.
Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramiah said that Congress will get a comfortable majority and that he too will win from the Varuna constituency.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said that he “doesn’t believe” exit poll predictions and that the INC will cross 146 seats.
#WATCH | My first reaction is that I don’t believe these numbers (exit polls). I stand by my numbers that we will cross 146 seats. People are highly educated and are looking at larger interests because the double engine has failed in Karnataka. The situation will not arise (to… pic.twitter.com/bYRpq2Mjom
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023
Karnataka CM Bommai rules out talks with JD(S)
Bommai has ruled out talks with the JD(S). According to exit polls, the party may hold the key to forming the next government in the state.
The 38-year-old jinx
In the 2018 assembly polls, BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats, Congress won 80 seats and JD(S) got 37 seats.
The fiercely contested election that saw high-pitch campaigns from the political parties is crucial for both BJP and Congress.
BJP is keen to retain the only state in southern India where it is in power while Congress is keen to gain momentum for its challenge in the state elections later this year and the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
An incumbent government has not returned to power in Karnataka after a full term of five years since 1985.
With inputs from agencies
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