Exit poll predicts hung Assembly in K'taka

New Delhi, May 23: The exit polls conducted by two television channels gave confusing and contradictory projections ranging from the BJP inching towards a majority to a hung assembly in Karnataka soon after the conclusion of the third and final phase of polling today.

The NDTV exit poll survey gave 95-115 seats to the BJP while the CNN-IBN Deccan Herald survey predicted a hung assembly with the Congress emerging as the single largest party with 86 seats. The BJP was given 79 seats. The NDTV survey projected 55-75 seats for Congress, 45-55 for JD(S) and 10-15 for Others. According to the CNN-IBN survey also projected the same for JD(S) of former prime minister H D Devegowda, giving it about 45 seats.

The others are expected to win 10-15 seats.

BJP's chief ministerial nominee B S Yeddyurappa tops the voters' choice for the chief ministership with 27 per cent voters showing their preference for him. Former chief ministers H D Kumaraswamy and S M Krishna are in the second and third positions having the backing of 22 and 16 per cent voters, the CNN-IBN survey showed.

All the representatives of the contending parties, however, did not agree with the projections and preferred to wait for the actual results on May 25 when the counting would be held.

An estimated 59.84 per cent voters had exercised their franchise in the first phase of elections for 89 seats in eleven districts on May 10, while an estimated 60.3 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of elections 66 seats in ten districts on May 16.

An estimated 61.3 per cent polling was recorded in the third and final phase of elections to 69 seats in eight northern Karnataka districts today.

UNI