After a fiercely contested election, voting for the 224-member state parliament has come to an end. Now, all eyes are on May 13, when the results will be announced. Both the incumbent BJP and the opposition Congress engaged in a fierce campaign to win over voters in the valued southern state. Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy ran a strong campaign for the JD(S) as well.
Political leaders made a number of divisive statements in the run-up to the election, which was characterised by intensive campaigning. Anti-incumbency, the reorganisation of reservations, development projects, and dole outs were the main topics in this year’s elections.
Both the BJP and Congress’ election manifestos caused quite a stir among the people who voted. If the BJP is able to hold onto power in the state, it has pledged to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). In contrast, the Congress has threatened to outlaw the Bajrang Dal if voters choose to support the venerable old party.
At least two pollsters predicted that the Congress will gain a majority as voting for the Karnataka Assembly elections came to an end on Wednesday. Most exit polls showed the Congress in a comfortable lead over the governing BJP. Most of the others predicted that the Congress will remain within the midway point in 224-member House at roughly . The forecasts indicate that the JD(S) may win 20 or more seats.