Congress to emerge victorious in Karnataka Election, likely to get 122-140 seats, predicts Axis-My India exit poll

Congress is all set to emerge victorious in the Karnataka election as it is likely to win around 122-140 seats out of 224, predicts India Today-Axis My India exit poll. 

On the other hand, BJP is expected to win 62-80 seats, and JD(S) 20-25 seats.

As per the exit poll, in the Bombay-Karnataka region, Congress is expected to win 28 seats while the BJP is predicted to win 21 seats. 

The exit poll also predicted that the saffron party will get 42 per cent vote share while Congress will get 45 per cent vote share and JD(S) will get 8 per cent vote share in the Bombay-Karnataka region. 

Coming to the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, the exit poll predicted that Congress is expected to sweep the Hyderabad-Karnataka region and may come out with flying colours on 32 seats.

However, in coastal Karnataka, the scenario is different as BJP is ahead and is expected to win 16 out of 19 seats. As per the exit poll,  the Congress may win only 3 seats, while it seems difficult for the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) to open its account in the region.

The voting for 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka started at 7 am today, May 10 with 65.69 per cent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm.

A total of 58,545 polling stations were set up where at least 5,31,33,054 electors cast their votes.

The major political parties who are in contention are BJP, Congress, and JD (S) who are fighting for a total of 113 seats.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will look to ride on the Modi juggernaut and break the 38-year jinx to return to power. 

Since 1985, Karnataka has never elected the incumbent party to office, and the BJP hopes to alter that by holding its southern stronghold. The Congress, on the other hand, would try to capitalize on its anti-corruption allegations and hope that the anti-incumbency factor will help it grab power in order to place itself as the main opposition force in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

The third front, led principally by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular), would seek to emerge as either a "king" or a "kingmaker" and hold the key to government formation in the event of a divided mandate.