Karnataka assembly elections saw a 70% voter turnout today, the Election Commission has said. The last assembly election in 2013 had witnessed 71.4% polling, it added.
Polling was held in 222 constituencies of the 224-member assembly as elections in two constituencies were been countermanded – in Jayanagara, following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA BN Vijaykumar – and in Rajrajeshwari Nagar after thousands of voter cards were seized from a flat in the area.
Karnataka could return a split verdict with the Bharatiya Janata Party as the single largest party and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda a kingmaker, an aggregate of five exit polls show.
The poll of exit polls say the BJP will get 100 seats and the Congress 90 seats – considerably below the 113 needed for majority for the 222 seats on which elections were held today. It gives 30 seats to the JD(S). The counting of votes will take place on Tuesday, media reports said.
Four exit polls – the ABP News – C Voter, News X-CNX and Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat suggested that the BJP will gain above 100 seats or more. One exit poll says the BJP has a chance of gaining majority. The ABP News – C Voter has given the BJP an outside limit of 113 seats, reported Bloomberg.
