Even though it has become unpredictable to say who would form the Government in Karnataka, the Opposition Congress is beaming high on surveys. But the parties have to wait till Wednesday to count their luck.
The 14th Assembly polls for Karnataka which was held on May 5 has been widely predicted that the ruling BJP will lose the power. Meanwhile, many exit polls predict a simple majority for the Congress.
A source in the ruling BJP told The Pioneer that the Yeddyurappa factor would cost dearly the first BJP Government in south of India. He said, “former Chief Minister and lingayat leader has become a bugbear for the party. I agree it is proved costly.” According to insiders, as anticipated, the infighting and caste factor have played a major role in the downfall of the party.
looking at the importance of the Karnataka polls, the Opposition Congress which brought star campaigners from its “Team A” of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to garner votes for a consolidation looking ahead of the lok Sabha elections. To counter the Congress, the ruling BJP pitch-forked its entire strength on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to salvage the party whose image was at low ebb.
Many predict that the KJP, a political outfit formed by 72-year-old lingayat strongman, has achieved its goal of destroying the BJP and set up Congress victory. The job was half done during the urban local body elections and Yeddyurappa proclaimed that the Assembly elections would sound death knell for the BJP. Yeddyurappa told the media that he had achieved what he wanted by inflicting a major defeat for the saffron party.
Exit polls have put the Congress tally in the 224-member House at anywhere between 110 and 132, with the ruling BJP a distant loser; 113 seats would be required for majority. It is also expected that in case of the Congress falling short of a majority, the KJP is expected to support the Congress endeavour to form the Government in Karnataka.
Many leaders in the Congress are in the race for the chief ministership. The names of Siddaramaiah, Mallikharjuna Kharge and G Parameshwara are doing rounds for occupying the hot seat. Though number of names are in the race, ultimately it is expected that the mantle might fall on these three giving hopes for a backward class leader or a Scheduled Caste leader to head Government much to the disdain of the dominant communities. It also would signal the emergence of these groups expected to change the socio-politco scenario of the State.
BSR Congress of former BJP Minister B Sriramulu is also expected to dent the prospects of the saffron party in some constituencies in Hyderabad-Karnataka region, adding to its woes.
Elections were held to 223 segments on Sunday, after the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district was countermanded to May 28 following the death of BJP candidate. At 71.29 per cent, the voter turnout was the second highest in the State history, after 71.90 per cent in 1978.
Counting of the single phase poll would be taken up at 8 am on Wednesday at 36 centres and with electronic voting machines having been used in all segments, the results are expected to be known by noon, Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha said.
The Congress is not in power in the State for about seven years now. Then Chief Minister N Dharam Singh of the Congress ran a coalition with the JD(S) of former PM HD Deve Gowda before the latter withdrew support in 2006, after Assembly polls two years earlier threw up a hung verdict.