Karnataka exit polls: upper hand for Congress, JDS predicted to play kingmaker

As voting for Karnataka state assembly ended, several pollsters declared their predictions based on the post-poll surveys with at least three of them giving an upper hand to the Congress and others indicating a hung assembly where JDS could play the kingmaker.

The ABP News-C Voter predicted the BJP to win 83-95 seats and the Congress 100 to 112 seats. For JDS, the survey said the regional outfit could win between 21 and 29 seats.

India Today- Axis My India survey predicted that the Congress could win between122-140 seats while the ruling BJP which is seeking a second term and is facing anti-incumbency may bag between 62-80 seats. This survey too predicted that JDS could play a crucial role in government formation and may win between 20-25 seats.

The majority mark in 224-member Vidhana Soudha is 113.

The News 24-Today's Chanakya however predicted a neck-to-neck battle between the BJP and the Congress. Pollsters predicted 92 seats for the BJP, while its survey showed the Congress could win 120 seats. Kumaraswamy-led JDS could manage 12 seats.

The News Nation-CGS survey predicted the return of BJP to power with 114 seats and 86 for the Congress, while the JDS is expected to get 21 seats.

Pertinent to mention that exit polls often get it wrong.