Karnataka headed for hung assembly, Congress single-largest party: Survey

The single-phase Karnataka Assembly elections will be held on May 12 and the results will be declared on May 15.

NEW DELHI: Karnataka is likely to throw up a hung assembly with the ruling Congress emerging as the single-largest party and JD(S)-BSP combine playing the kingmaker's role in the upcoming Assembly election, ABP News-CSDS opinion poll has projected. The survey showed that the Congress could win 97 seats in a House of 225, while the BJP led by BS Yeddyurappa is projected to win 84 seats. The opinion poll projected former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) may emerge as the kingmaker with 37 seats.

#ABPOpinionPoll Karnataka (224 seats) - Congress to emerge as single largest party but may not get absolute majority. Projected to win 97 seats. BJP likely to attain 84 seats. JDS may pull 37 seats, Others 4. LIVE Coverage: https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/vNd1B05fUu

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 7, 2018

The survey said the Congress will get 38 per cent of votes, the BJP 33 per cent and the JD (S), which has entered into a pre-poll alliance with the BSP, may get 22 per cent vote share.

#ABPOpinionPoll Congress way ahead than BJP in terms of vote share. https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/WKaiyLjHTW

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 7, 2018

The Congress remained favorite among the farmers of the state with 40 per cent of the respondents saying they would vote for the Siddaramaiah-led Congress while 31 per cent opted for BJP as their preference. Karnataka has recorded the second highest number of farmer suicides in the country in 2015 after Maharashtra but the Congress has managed to get the support of the peasants even when the BJP, in its manifesto, offered to waive off farm loans. In the survey, Siddaramaiah was the top choice for the chief ministerial post among the respondents with 33 per cent favouring the Karnataka Congress face. BJP's CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa was not so far behind and was the choice of 27 per cent of the people surveyed. Deve Gowda's son and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy received the support of 22 per cent of the people.

#ABPOpinionPoll Siddaramaiah first choice for #Karnataka CM. LIVE: https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/SJY3t1VZyI

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 7, 2018

According to the poll, development and performance remained the major concern for the people with 29 per cent of respondents highlighting the issue as their topmost concern, when asked an open-ended question. The survey highlighted that the Lingayat cards played by the Congress has failed miserably, as 61 per cent of the Lingayats are likely to vote for the BJP despite Siddaramaiah's recommendation for according Lingayats the status of a minority religion, a demand being raised by the community for long. In a boost for Congress, Karnataka voters seemed satisfied with the performance of the Siddaramaiah government. 29 percent of the respondents said they are "fully satisfied" while 43 per cent are "somewhat satisfied" with the Congress rule. Karnataka will hold elections for its 224-seat assembly on May 12 and the result will be announced three days later. The Congress in 2013 had won a massive 113 seats while B JP and JDS had won 50 and 40 seats respectively. Karnataka elections are not just about Karnataka. If the BJP can unseat the ruling Congress in the state, it will be a huge morale booster for the Narendra Modi-led NDA government before it goes to public seeking the second term at the Centre. Whereas, the gameplan of the Congress is to win the Assembly polls and use the victory as a springboard for the revival of the party nationally