High Stake Karnataka Battle: What Is In Store For The Three Major Parties

The stage is set and the results in Karnataka will be out today. It is a big battle between the BJP and Congress, while all eyes would be on the JD(S) which many have touted would play kingmaker.

While most of the exit polls have predicted that the verdict would be hung, leading psephologists argue that it may not be so.

Currently the scales are tilted in favour of the Congress, but the BJP appears to be confident that it would cross the 100 mark and form the government.

To be sure, the magic number in the 224 member Karnataka assembly is 113.

The elections are extremely important for the BJP. It is the party's gateway in the South. A victory in Karnataka would mean a boost for the party as it is looking to turn the tables in Telangana later this year.

For the Congress a win in Karnataka would mean a huge boost as it would be a big state that it would snatch away from the BJP. This would also have an impact on the party's prospects in the forthcoming elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to be held later this year.

For the JD(S) it is a case of survival. The party has been written off several times, but it has always played a relevant role in the state. The fear for the JD(S) is that in case it is not able to play a role in the formation of the government, many of its MLAs may switch sides.

However one has to bear in mind that the JD(S) has seen several such ups and downs, but has somehow managed to pull it off. This has been the story of the JD(S) since 20404 in Karnataka.

Karnataka voted in a single phase on May 10 and recorded a 73.19 per cent voter turnout.