Congress may get clear majority with 122-140 seats, predicts India Today-Axis My India exit poll

India Today-Axis My India predicted a clear majority for the Congress with 122-140 seats in the 224-member assembly and gave the BJP 62-80 seats. It gave 20-25 seats to the JD (S), the third major player in the race.

Axis My India predicted that Congress may get 43 per cent votes while the saffron party may settle with 35 per cent votes. JD(S) is likely to win 20-25 seats, less than what the party had got in 2018.

Except for the coastal region, the Congress is leading in all other regions such as Bengaluru (17 out of 28 seats), central Karnataka (12 out of 23), Hyderabad-Karnataka (32 out of 40), Mumbai-Karnataka (28 out of 50), and Old Mysuru (36 out of 64).

As per Axis My India, the saffron party is expected to win only 16 out of 19 seats in the coastal region, where it is leading. In Bengaluru, the BJP is projected to win a mere 10 out of 28 seats. Hyderabad-Karnataka is the region where the BJP is likely to suffer the most, with just 7 out of 40 seats expected to be won by the party.

Although the BJP is expected to increase its vote share by four percent in the Old Mysuru region, it is the stronghold of JDS, and any surge in the BJP's vote share could impact the Janata Dal (Secular) and benefit the Congress. As per Axis My India, the Congress is likely to win 36 out of 64 seats, with the JDS expected to secure 18 and the BJP only 6.

While Axis My India has predicted a clear majority for the Congress, other exit polls have given the party a slight edge but no clear majority. Matrize has projected 103-118 seats for Congress, 79-94 seats for BJP, and 25-33 for JD(S). PMARQ's exit poll has predicted 94-108 seats for Congress, 85-100 seats for BJP, and 24-32 seats for JD(S). As per CVoter, the Congress is likely to win 100-112 seats, BJP may secure 83-95, and JD(S) 21-29.

The polling for 224 assembly seats of Karnataka concluded on Wednesday, with 66 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm. The result for the three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) will be announced on Saturday.

Projected vote share

BJP - 35%
Congress - 43%
JD(S) - 16%

Projected seat share

Congress: 122-140
BJP: 62-80
JD(S): 20-25