India Today-Axis My India Exit Polls: BJP Set To Sweep Coastal Karnataka

The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to sweep coastal Karnataka, and will likely win 16 out of 19 seats, predicts The India Today-Axis My India exit poll.

Photo Credit: File photo of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai

According to the survey, the Congress will manage to secure only three seats, while JDS is facing a total rout this election as well.

The exit poll also revelead that the BJP will get 50 per cent vote share. whereas the Congress is expected to get a vote share of 40 per cent. The survey predicted that JDS will only get 6 per cent of vote share in the region.

The coast has for long been the bastion of the BJP. The 2018 elections were fought on the Hindutva line.

The campaign pitch was more about a fight to protect Hindutva. The BJP went all out to blame the Siddaramaiah government which was then in power for not doing much when six Hindu youths were murdered allegedly by members of the now banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

But this time, the focus is heavily on development and nationalistic pride.

In what is being seen mainly as a three-cornered contest, the ruling BJP is looking to script history by retaining its sole southern citadel while a combative Congress eyes a comeback ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and JDS is vying to keep itself relevant in the State politics.