As most exit polls predict a tight contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, both the parties on Friday held strategy sessions on ways to keep the flock together. They also considered reaching out to independent candidates who have a high probability of winning when the Karnataka Assembly election results 2023 are announced on Saturday, May 13.
Hectic parleys were on at Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge's residence In Bengaluru. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, party's state unit chief D K Shivakumar and former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara among others were present at his residence to discuss ways to muster numbers if the party falls short of a majority.
Congress Legislature Party leader and former CM Siddaramaiah, who has a swelling in his hand and is being treated by doctors, was in touch with the party leaders from his residence, reported PTI.
BJP Reaching Out To Independents
In the BJP camp, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met veteran leader B S Yediyurappa at the former chief minister's residence. Murugesh Nirani, Byrathi Basavaraj, Lehar Singh Siroya and A T Ramaswamy were other party leaders present during the meeting.
Bommai expressed confidence about BJP emerging victorious with a clear majority and said the question of coalition talks with other political parties does not arise now.
BJP leaders too are said to have planned a strategy to keep its newly-elected legislators together, and are making attempts to contact independents, mostly BJP rebels, as well as "winning" candidates of smaller parties, PTI reported.
JD(S) Asks MPs To Stay Loyal
The JD(S) is expecting a hung assembly and feels it could emerge as the kingmaker. Therefore, the party is making all efforts to keep its MLAs together.
In the absence of JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, who is in Singapore for a health checkup and is expected to return tomorrow morning, party patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has reportedly contacted party leaders and candidates who may win, over the phone and asked them to stay loyal to the party and its leadership, and to not to fall prey to allurements by other parties.
Though, various exit polls are predicting a victory for the Congress party, the margin is narrow. The BJP too looks in a good situation and sniffs a chance of once again forming the government in the state. Therefore, both the parties are trying to reach out to independents to gather support for the magic number of 113 seats in the 224-member assembly.