Wednesday’s Karnataka Exit Poll 2023 forecasts a close battle between the BJP and Congress. The BJP wants to create history by keeping its southern stronghold, but Congress is fighting back vigorously to make a return before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP, Congress, and Janata Dal (Secular) of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda are the key parties in the election. During the day-long process, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy will learn their electoral fates.
Polls Show Close Election Between BJP and Congress
Polling saw three violent events. After hearing that election officials were replacing EVMs and VVPATs, Masabinal residents smashed many machines and polling authorities’ trucks. at Padmanabhanagar constituency, Bengaluru, several teenagers armed with sticks attacked their political opponents at a Papaiah Garden voting booth, injuring a few women in line to vote. Congress and BJP activists fought at Sanjeevarayanakote, Ballari.
The BJP wants to become the first incumbent party to win re-election in 38 years, while the Congress wants to take power and become the opposition leader before the 2024 parliamentary elections. The JD (S) might become a “kingmaker” or rule in a hung parliament, as it has done before.
CVoter, Lokniti-CSDS, Axis My India, and Today’s Chanakya will issue their exit poll forecasts after the Karnataka Assembly election finishes at 6 PM. The Election Commission of India will release the results on May 13.
A government needs 113 members in the Karnataka Assembly. 36 SC and 15 ST seats are reserved. The 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections saw 72.13 percent voter turnout. BJP got the most seats (104) followed by INC.
No party won a majority, and the BJP’s administration was dismissed three days before a trust vote. After 17 members defected, the Congress-JD(S) combination collapsed after 14 months, and the BJP took power again. In 2019, the governing party won 12 of 15 byelections.
Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Total Voters
The electoral commission reports 2,615 candidates running for state Assembly in 58,545 voting places. 5,31,33,054 eligible voters are 2,67,28,053 men, 2,64,00,074 women, and 4,927 “others” in the state. 2,430 applicants are male, 184 female, and one third-gender.
Statewide security measures have been adopted to ensure peaceful elections, according to poll authorities. Neighboring states have sent troops. On election day, 84,119 State Police Officers and 58,500 CAPF in 650 companies maintain peace and order. Micro Observers, Webcasting, and CCTVs monitor “Critical Polling Stations” for security.
