Karnataka elections survey: This opinion poll just gives 57-65 seats for BJP

Is the BJP heading for its worst-ever electoral performance since it became a formidable force in Karnataka? A pre-poll survey claims that the saffron party might end up winning just 57-65 seats in the forthcoming polls.

If true, it will be the BJP's second worst-ever performance in decades in Karnataka after it was reduced to 40 seats in 2013 following BS Yediyurappa's exit from the party.

According to a survey conducted by Kannada news outlet Eedina, the Congress will register superb performance by winning 132-140 seats in the 224-member assembly. It is predicted to secure 43 per cent vote share, thereby registering its best performance in the last three decades.

Whereas the BJP is projected to win 57-65 seats with a vote share of 33 per cent. It means the saffron party is going to lose at least 40 seats when compared to its 2018 performance.

The BJP has emerged victorious in 104 seats, nine short of magic number of 113, in 2018. As a result, the Congress and JDS joined hands to form the government.

However, the HD Kumaraswamy-led government collapsed, 14 months later.

"It's clear that corruption and incompetence are the main reasons for which the BJP is being thrown out if the opinion polls come true," the Wire quoted Dr Vasu HV, coordinator of Eedina survey, as saying in an interview.

He further said that the Ahinda votes are helping the Congress big time. He added, "At the same time, there's yet another angle to it that the oppressed communities and Ahinda in Karnataka, which comprise Dalits and [people belonging to the] backward [caste/communities] are more in favour of the Congress for quite sometime...And, more poor [people] are voting in favour of Congress. So, price rise and other issues, the economic decline in the last three to four years, post-COVID-19 developments, all [of these factors] have resulted in this opinion poll. There are also many welfare programmes the Congress has identified with."

The survey was conducted in 204 constituencies between March 3 and April 21 where 41,169 were interviewed by the Eedina network, the press release from the channel said.

What Other Surveys Have Said, So Far?

Out of eight other pre-poll and opinion surveys, five pollsters have predicted the Congress to win 100+ seats. Check out: