Karnataka elections: Exit polls show tough battle between BJP, Congress
As voting for the Karnataka Assembly elections came to a close, exit polls predicted a close race between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, with many favoring the latter. Per five of six exit polls, Karnataka will have a hung Assembly, with the Congress holding a slight advantage. However, like in 2018, no party is expected to cross the halfway mark.
Why does this story matter?
After the 2019 election fiasco, the Congress is looking at unseating the BJP government, which claims it will break the 38-year-old trend of the ruling party losing polls in Karnataka. The Janata Dal (Secular), on the other hand, is seeking to retain its stronghold in 37 seats with some newly-welcomed turncoats from the BJP and Congress.
Congress will cross majority mark: Zee Matrize
The Zee Matrize exit polls predicted that the Congress would get the majority with 103-118 seats, the BJP will slip to the second spot with 79-94 seats, while the JDS will be in the third with 25-33 seats. As per Jan Ki Baat, the BJP will get 94-117 seats while the Congress can bag 91-106 seats and JD(S) will secure 14-24 seats.
Hung assembly with Congress leading: TV9-Bharatvarsh-Polstrat
The state recorded around 66% voter turnout until 5:00pm and is likely to break the all-time record of 71% recorded in 2018. The TV9-Bharatvarsh-Polstrat predicted a hung Assembly, with Congress having an edge over others. Meanwhile, the P-Marq-Republic predicted that the BJP will win 94-100 seats, while Congress could get 94-108 seats and the JD(S) 24-32.
BJP could sweep coastal Karnataka
IndiaTV predicts that the BJP and Congress will have a neck-and-neck fight in Greater Bengaluru, with the BJP winning 13-15 seats and the Congress 16-18, while three seats could go to others. The BJP is expected to perform well in coastal Karnataka, which has been its stronghold. India Today, MyAxis, and TimesNow predict a clean sweep for the BJP in this region.
