Karnataka Exit Polls: Pollsters entice BJP; show low-hanging fruit

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, May 10: Averaging exit polls should be foolish politically punditry, but helps in adding to entertainment quotient. The average of all exit polls predicts a hung Assembly in Karnataka. This should not be a surprise, for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party despite being in power on several occasions has never won even a simple majority in Karnataka.

One of the pollsters, who worked with key Congress functionary, has also shied away from giving majority to any party in the state. The consensus case with pollsters is the BJP stranded with about 36 per cent vote share and 90 plus seats, while Congress may be a kiss way from the simple majority by bagging about 40 per cent votes.

The Janata Dal (Secular) holding on to almost 17 per cent vote share, according to the pollsters, could be joker in the pack by winning about 25-30 Assembly seats. The people in Karnataka may just have given the JD (S) the key to unlock the power puzzle in Bengaluru, while almost 67 per cent polling was recorded on Wednesday.

The real verdict of the people would be known in the first couple of hours of May 13 or afternoon latest if the outcome proves to be a cliffhanger. Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge on the campaign trail in Karnataka had sought a massive mandate, while warning that the BJP is in the habit of “stealing the popular mandate”.

The BJP’s highest tally in Karnataka has been 109 Assembly seats. The saffron outfit had staged a comeback to power in Karnataka after 18 Congress MLAs had rebelled. Similar actions have been seen in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Evidently, the BJP has a proven craft to pounce on about 20 odd MLAs to rework the popular mandate in the Assembly elections.

If Congress falls short of the halfway mark of 113 in the Assembly of 224 seats, Kharge-led outfit may certainly have to sit in the Opposition benches in the Assembly. Political observers also don’t rule out the prospects of Congress being ousted of power if the party wins less than 120 seats after a few months.

In the event of hung Assembly, the BJP may have the advantage to form the government with the JD (S), which is seen to be power hungry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown visible affections for the JD (S) patriarch HDS Deve Gowda.