As Karnataka gears up for D-Day, with most exit poll projections predicting a hung Assembly while putting the Congress in the lead, the outcome will boil down to how the battle for some key constituencies plays out.
After a high-decibel campaign during which all three key players in the fray—the incumbent BJP, the Congress, and the Janata Dal (Secular)—went at each other and pulled out stops and heavyweight campaigners to woo voters, the verdict in the battle for the Karnataka Assembly now rests with the people’s court. The counting of votes will start at 8 a.m. across 36 designated centres in the southern state, the Election Commission informed. While the campaign saw the BJP and the Congress trading fire over the promise in the latter’s manifesto to proscribe the Bajrang Dal, polling went off peacefully on 10 May, with the eventual turnout recorded at a robust 73.29 percent. A party needs to win 113 seats to reach the majority mark and stake a claim to forming the government in Karnataka.
The key constituencies to watch out for on result day are Varuna, Kanakapura, Shiggaon, Hubli-Darwad, Channapatna, Shikaripura, Chittapur, Ramanagara, and Chikmagalur.
The results in these seats could well sway the eventual outcome of the Assembly polls.
Also, the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, accounting for 17 and 11 percent of the state’s population, will play a key role in deciding the eventual poll outcome. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is seeking a fresh mandate from the Shiggaon constituency, where he has won three consecutive terms in the Assembly.
There is also a lot of curiosity around the battle for the Varuna constituency, where Congress stalwart and former chief minister Siddaramaiah is pitted against the BJP’s V Somanna, a state minister, and Dr. Bharathi Shankar of the JD(S).
The former CM is hopeful of continuing his winning streak in this seat since 2008.
