In Karnataka, the only southern state where the BJP has firmly established itself, the electoral battle is highly prestigious. The state serves as a battleground for a direct contest between BJP and Congress. This election season in Karnataka has been marred by controversies, including water scarcity, extreme heat, and a sex scandal involving suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.
Despite these controversies, the ABP Cvoter Exit Poll results predict a major gain for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Karnataka Lok Sabha Contest
The 2024 Indian general election in Karnataka took place on 26 April 2024 and 7 May 2024 during the second and third phases respectively to select members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
In Karnataka, the BJP forged a pre-poll alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular), led by HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy. Under this alliance, the BJP is contesting 25 seats while the JD(S) is vying for 3 seats.
On the other hand, the Indian National Congress has opted to contest the election independently, fielding candidates across all 28 constituencies in the state.
Among the 28 seats up for grabs, notable constituencies include Shimoga, Hassan, Mandya, Bangalore South, and Haveri.
The electoral contest in the state holds paramount importance for the BJP, as it stands as the sole southern state where the party has garnered a significant presence, winning 25 out of the 28 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, for the JD(S), which faced substantial setbacks in the 2023 state polls, the stakes are even higher, given the party's grappling with what seems like an 'existential' crisis.
Karnataka also found itself embroiled in a significant controversy involving Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of HD Deve Gowda. Prajwal faced allegations in a sexual abuse case soon after the conclusion of the first phase of elections.
On May 1, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised that his party would not support individuals involved in crimes against women.
Karnataka Exit Poll Results
In Karnataka, I.N.D.I.A is expected to secure 3 to 5 seats, accounting for 41.8% of the vote share, while the NDA is projected to win 23 to 25 seats, capturing 54.2% of the vote share.
The other parties and independent candidates are expected to secure 4% of the vote share.
(Disclaimer: Current survey findings and projections are based on CVoter Exit Poll / Post Poll personal interviews conducted on polling day and after polling day among 18+ adults statewide, all confirmed voters, details of which are mentioned right below the projections as of today. The data is weighted to the known demographic profile of the States. Sometimes the table figures do not sum to 100 due to the effects of rounding. Our final data file has Socio-Economic profile within +/- 1% of the Demographic profile of the State. We believe this will give the closest possible trends. The sample spread is across all Assembly segments in the poll bound state. MoE is +/- 3% at macro level and +/- 5% at micro level VOTE SHARE projection with 95% Confidence interval.)