Latest survey: Journalists predict a hung assembly in Karnataka elections

Indicating a tight race between the BJP and the Congress, most exit polls for the Karnataka Assembly elections had on Saturday projected a hung assembly with the JD(S) likely to play the kingmaker.

Senior journalists intensively covering the Karnataka Assembly elections on Monday predicted a hung assembly in the southern state with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party.

BENGALURU: Senior journalists intensively covering the Karnataka Assembly elections on Monday predicted a hung assembly in the southern state with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party. According to the survey, the saffron party is projected to win 99 seats in the 224-member Assembly while the Congress is likely to get 89 seats. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's JD(S) may emerge as the kingmaker in the tightly contested elections with 34 seats. 222 of the 224 seats went to polls on May 12. According to the scribes from Karnataka, the BJP is likely to secure 28 seats in the Mumbai Karnataka region whereas the Congress may get 19. The region has 50 constituencies. In the Old Mysore region (57 seats), the Congress is projected to perform better than BJP by winning 23 seats. The saffron party is likely to emerge victorious 15 seats. The JD(S) may get somewhere around 19 seats. In 26 seats of Central Karnataka, according to the survey, the BJP will lead the tally with 13 seats, the Congress will get 9 while the JD(S) 3. In the Hyderabad Karnataka region, the contest is projected to be between the Congress and the BJP. The Siddaramaiah-led party may bag 16 seats in the region while the BJP is likely to get 19 seats. The JD(S) won't be able to open its account in the region. The region has 40 seats. In the Bengaluru region, journalists gave 15 seats to the Congress, 13 to the BJP and 3 to the JD(S). The region has 32 constituencies. Coastal Karnataka (19 seats) is going to see a neck and neck fight between the Congress and the BJP, according to the survey. Both the parties may get nine seats each and the JD(S) may secure one. Indicating a tight race between the BJP and the Congress, most exit polls for the Karnataka Assembly elections had on Saturday projected a hung assembly with the JD(S) likely to play the kingmaker, but were divided on which of the two national parties will emerge as the largest in the House.