Congress set to emerge winner in Karnataka: Exit polls

The Congress is likely to emerge winner in the Karnataka assembly elections while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party could end up a distant loser, exit polls and predictions by television channels claimed.

All the channels predicted that the Congress will win over 110 seats and the BJP around 50 seats.  

According to estimates by CNN-IBN, the Congress is likely to get 110 to 116 seats in the elections to the 224-member House, polling for which was held on Sunday, while the ruling BJP may get between 43 and 53.

...

H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal-Secular is also likely to get 43 to 53 seats, as per prediction revised by the channel following change in several political factors, including faulty choice of candidates by Congress and infighting in it.

'Others' are likely to get 16-24 seats.

In the current Assembly, BJP has 110 MLAs -- three short of majority -- and rules the state with help of five Independent MLAs who were inducted into the Ministry. The Congress has 80 seats and JD-S 28.

...

The exit polls claimed that former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party will win just over ten seats. 

Headlines Today gave the Congress a wafer thin majority with 114 seats and BJP 55 seats. JD-S may bag 34 seats while Yeddyurappa's party will end up with 11 seats and 'others' nine.

Hindi channel ABP news gave Congress 110 to 118 seats and claimed the BJP is likely to get 51 to 59 seats. JD-S was predicted to get 31 to 37 seats while KJP 9 to 13.

Times Now predicted a whopping majority for Congress and pegged its tally at 132, with the BJP and JD-S a distant second with 38 seats each. The channel gave 15 to 'others', including KJP and Independents.

... 

Earlier, CNN-IBN and The Week had conducted a pre-poll survey on Karnataka in the second week of April and projected that the Congress is likely to get 117-129 seats, BJP 39-49, JD-S 34-44 and others 14-22. 

A statement said CNN-IBN revised the projection taking into account various factors like faulty choice of candidates by the Congress leading to unhappiness within the party and open and subtle opposition to the official nominee and infighting between prominent leaders of the Congress. 

The channel also took note of the "absence of a well-orchestrated and coordinated campaign, consolidation of Vokkaliga vote behind the JD-S in southern Karnataka and Bangalore rural, split in Lingayat vote between the BJP and KJP in northern Karnataka, resulting in an advantage for Congress." 

It also said there was a strong impact of double anti-incumbency against the BJP -- against government and against individual MLAs, many of whom have completed 2 or 3 terms, in coastal Karnataka that has worked to the advantage of the Congress.

...