Stakes are high for the BJP, Congress and JD(S), among other contenders, in Karnataka as the state awaits the results of the Karnataka Assembly elections today. The counting of votes will begin at 8 am under strict security. The ruling BJP is hoping to retain the only southern state where it has held power, and in the process, reverse the trend since the 1980s of Karnataka voting out its incumbent government. The Congress, on the other hand, aims to win its first major state since December 2018, when it defeated its arch-rival in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
According to most exit polls, the Congress will either be the single-largest party or win just about enough number of seats to form government on its own. In the 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly, the majority figure is 113.The BJP is projected to be the runner-up to the grand old party. Former prime minister Deve Gowda's JDS, meanwhile, is likely to finish third, and play ‘kingmaker,’ should the need arise.