By Mohammed Kudrati
The exit polls provided by various television news channels show that Karnataka will see a hung assembly as a result of election to its legislative assembly that concluded today.
Three days from now on May 13, when the votes will be counted, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will likely be neck to neck with the opposition Congress, according to these polls. The Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)], like the 2018 election, may emerge as the kingmaker with the Congress emerging as the single largest party.
The state has 224 seats up for grabs, making the majority mark 113 seats for a simple majority.
Only India Today - My Axis has predicted an outright majority for the Congress and a flip in the ruling government, predicting 122-140 seats for the opposition.
Karnataka remains the last state in the Southern India that the BJP governs independently. The party is a minor partner in the Government of Puducherry.
In 2018, the Congress won 80 seats, the BJP 104 and the JD(S) 37 seats. But the Congress and JD(S) formed a coalition government despite the BJP being in the single largest party. However, after just 14 months, the coalition government collapsed after legislators of the ruling coalition resigned, plunging the coalition into a minority. The BJP then formed the government after being bolstered by the ensuing by-poll.
Here's what the major pollsters are saying
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