Congress or BJP? Counting underway in Karnataka

Counting of votes polled in the high stakes Karnataka assembly election, which witnessed a fierce fight between archrivals BJP and the Congress was taken up across the state on Saturday, with a clear picture on the outcome likely to emerge by mid-day.

The counting began at 8 am in 36 centres across the state amid elaborate security arrangements in place, especially in and around the counting centres to avoid any untoward incidents, official sources said.

Top state leaders--Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress' Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and Janata Dal-Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy are contesting from different seats.

The State registered a record turnout of 73.19 per cent in the voting on May 10 for the 224 member assembly.

With most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and BJP, leaders of the two parties seem "jittery" over the outcome, while the JD-S appears to be expecting a hung verdict, which would enable it to play a role in government formation.

Most pollsters have given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while also indicating the possibility of a hung assembly in the state.

The BJP has banked on the Modi juggernaut to swing the voters towards it and is looking to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the state has never voted the incumbent party to power.The Congress, on the other hand, is eyeing a morale booster victory to give itself a much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD-S will emerge as a "kingmaker" or a "king" by holding the key to government formation, in the event of a hung verdict, as it has done in the past.

Keeping in lines with the two decade old trend, Karnataka witnessed yet another three-cornered electoral contest this time as well, with a direct fight between the BJP, the Congress and the JD-S in most of the constituencies.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, has also fielded candidates. Also, there were some smaller parties in the fray in a few constituencies.

"A government with full majority" was the strong pitch of the leaders of all the political parties during campaigning, as they stressed on getting a clear mandate to form a strong and stable government, unlike what happened after the 2018 polls.

The BJP had then emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats, followed by Congress with 80 seats and JD-S at 37. There was also one independent member, while the BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) got one legislator each elected.

In the 2018 elections, the Congress garnered a vote-share of 38.04 per cent, followed by the BJP (36.22 per cent) and the JD-S (18.36 per cent).

With no party getting a clear majority then and as Congress and JD-S were trying to forge an alliance, BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa staked claim and formed the government that was short-lived. It was dissolved within three days, ahead of a trust vote, as Yediyurappa was unable to muster the required numbers.

Subsequently, the Congress-JD-S alliance formed the government with Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister, but the wobbly dispensation collapsed in 14 months,triggered by the resignation of 17 ruling coalition MLAs. They defected to the BJP and facilitated its return to power. In the bypolls held subsequently in 2019, the ruling party won 12 out of 15 seats, giving the much needed stability to the government.

In the outgoing assembly, the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs, followed by the Congress at 69, JD-S 29, BSP one, independents two, speaker one and vacant six (following deaths and resignations to join other parties ahead of the polls).