Most exit polls predict hung verdict in Karnataka, JDS holds key
As exit polls results were announced on Wednesday, no political party in Karnataka was projected to cross the half-way mark to gain majority in the recently-held state assembly elections. So far, the poll of polls predicted that Congress will win 103-111 seats while the ruling BJP will bag 87-97 seats.
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Although most of the exit polls indicated a hung assembly with a slight advantage to the Congress, two of the prominent surveys - Axis My India and Today's Chanakya - projected an absolute majority for the grand old party. If the Congress emerges victorious, there are rumors that the party would nominate either Siddharamaiah, the ex-CM, or DK Shivakumar, the present Karnataka Congress unit president, as the next chief minister.
Jagadish Shettar, a veteran BJP leader who switched to the Congress ahead of the polls, told news agency ANI that the"Congress will get a clear majority and form the government".
"According to exit polls, Congress is the single largest party. There is no question of coalition with any other party, especially JD(S)," he added.
Speaking to reporters, Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said,"I am very much confident that we will come back to power with an absolute majority, I am 200% confident. Exit polls are done in a hurry, and there will be lots of errors. There is no question of anybody becoming the kingmaker, for me the people are the kingmaker and they will bring BJP back to power.''
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 form alliance with any party): Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said,''For the sake of the country and Karnataka, I hope that the people have voted for opportunities for all and disparagement of none. It is only a secular, liberal and progressive Karnataka that can hold its head high among the states of India."
Congress likely to emerge as the single largest party as per TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat Exit Poll. It is expected to gather somewhere around 99 to 109 seats. The ruling BJP will bag 88-98 seats while JDS, as expected, is ending at third place by winning 21-26 seats with independent candidates predicted to win around 0-4 seats.
While the ruling BJP, riding on the Modi juggernaut, wants to break the 38-year jinx -- the state has never voted the incumbent party to power since 1985 -- and tighten the grip on its southern stronghold, the Congress is seeking to wrest power to give the party the much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 parliamentary polls.
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