Karnataka Election Result 2023: Early Trends Suggest Close Contest As Both Congress, BJP Ahead On 49 Seats

Karnataka Election Result 2023: Here are the early trends as the counting of votes began at 8 AM. Most exit polls predicted a tight contest between the Congress and the ruling BJP.

File photo of Karnataka Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai and Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and DK Shivakumar ( Image Source :PTI )

Karnataka Election Result 2023: The counting of votes polled for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, which witnessed a fierce fight between archrivals BJP and the Congress besides the JD(S), began on Saturday as the parties are waiting with bated breath to know their fate over the possibility of a hung assembly. 

Here are the early trends as the counting of votes began at 8 AM and postal ballot votes are being counted in the first hour:

Political Party	Early Trends In 110 Seats
BJP	49 (Leading)
Congress	49 (Leading)
JD(S)	8 (Leading)
Others	4 (Leading)

 

The electoral fortunes of top leaders -- Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP, Congress heavyweights Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, and JD(S)' HD Kumaraswamy, among many others will be known today.

Karnataka registered a "record" turnout of 73.19 per cent in the voting on May 10, to elect representatives to the 224-member Assembly.

With most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and BJP, leaders of the two parties seem "jittery" over the outcome, while the JD(S) appears to be expecting a hung verdict, which would enable it to play a role in government formation. Most pollsters have given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while also indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly in the state.

Having banked on the Modi juggernaut, the ruling BJP is looking to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the people have never voted the incumbent party to power, while the Congress is hoping for a morale booster victory to give it a much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) will emerge as a "kingmaker" or a "king" by holding the key to government formation, in the event of a hung verdict, as it has done in the past.

Like it has been the trend for about the last two decades, Karnataka witnessed a three-cornered contest, with a direct fight between the said parties in most of the constituencies.