First-time voters show their ink stained fingers after casting their ballot during the polling day for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 in Bengaluru on Saturday. PTI New Delhi/Bengaluru: Indicating a tight race between the BJP and the Congress, most exit polls for the Karnataka Assembly elections on Saturday forecast a hung assembly with the JD(S) likely to play the kingmaker, but were divided on which of the two national parties will emerge as the largest in the House.
Voting for 222 of the 224 assembly seats in the state was held on Saturday. Any party will need the support of 113 MLAs to form a new government.
The Congress had won 122 seats last time following a split in the BJP, which was reduced to 40 seats while the JD(S) also got 40 seats.
Various agencies and media houses have announced the results of the exit polls they conducted during the election that was projected as a three-cornered fight.
Check out the exit polls results:
1. Times Now-VMR give an edge to Congress with an estimated 90-103 seats. It has predicted 80-93 seats for BJP and 31-39 for JD(S).
2. India Today-Axis predict around 106-118 seats for Congress, 79-92 seats for BJP and 22-30 seats for JD(S). It also predicted the vote share of the Congress and the BJP at 39 per cent and 35 per cent respectively.
3. Local Kannada channel, Suvarna's Exit Poll: Congress 106 to 118; BJP 79-92; JDS: 22-30; and Others: 1-4.
4. Aajtak: Congress 106-118; BJP 72-76; JDS 25-30; and Others 04-08.
5. Republic TV-Jan ki Baat, on the other hand, give BJP an edge over Congress and has predicted 95-114 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party and 73-82 seats for Congress. JD(S): 32-43. The respective vote share prediction by Republic TV for the BJP and Congress are 36 and 38.25 per cent.
6. NewsX-CNX also predict an upper hand for BJP as it proposes 102-106 seats for the party. Congress 72-75; JDS 35-38; and Others: 3-6.
7. CVoter: BJP 97-109; Congress 87-99; JDS: 21-30; and Others: 1- 8.
8. News Nation: BJP 105-109; Congress 71-75; JDS 36-40; and Others 3-5.
9. Dugvijay News: BJP 103-107; Congress 76-80; JDS 31-35; and Others 04-08.
10. ABP: BJP 97-106; Congress 87-95; JDS 21-30; and Others 1-8.
11. However, NDTV poll of exit poll predicts a hung house in Karnataka with BJP emerging as the single largest party. The exit poll predicts 100 seats for BJP, 86 for Congress and 33 for JDS and its alliances. It is a average of seven exit polls.
12. India News-Today's Chanakya: BJP 120; Congress 73; JDS 26; and Others 03.
The channels were, however, revising the figures as more data was pouring in.
Both the BJP and the Congress ran a spirited campaign in the state with prime minister Narendra Modi leading the saffron charge with 21 rallies, while Rahul Gandhi and chief minister Siddaramaiah led the Congress' bid to ensure that it defies anti-incumbency to retain power. The BJP has declared B S Yeddyurappa as its chief ministerial candidate.
