BJP in celebration mode; Cong reticent

Buoyed by the exit poll predictions and riding high on the ‘Modi wave,’ the BJP  has made elaborate arrangements to celebrate its projected victory in the Lok Sabha elections. 

The party has instructed its workers to assemble at its head office in Malleswaram for celebrations. Arrangements have been made to release gas balloons with pictures of lotus (party symbol) and Narendra Modi. 

The three BJP candidates - Bangalore North, South and Central constituencies - will stay put at their respective constituencies till the declaration of results.

However, the mood appears quite the opposite in Congress. The ruling party has not made any such arrangements. Sources in the party said that there have been no instructions even to hold a meeting at the party head office on Queen’s Road.
 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is confident that his party will win not less than 19-20 seats. However, Congress appears to be not too enthusiastic, going by the exit poll predictions. Siddaramaiah  and KPCC president Parameshwara will be in Bangalore on the counting day.

The Congress and BJP are locked in a straight contest in most of the constituencies in the State. Most of the exit polls have predicted more seats for the saffron party. 

The Congress is expected to win 7-16 seats while the BJP tally is put at 12 to 18 seats. The exit polls have predicted that the JD(S) would get one to four seats. In 2009 polls, the BJP had won 19 seats, the Congress six and JD(S) three. The Congress increased its tally to nine after the byelections. In 2004, the BJP had won 18 seats, the Congress 8 and the JD(S) two. 

Siddaramaiah, who campaigned extensively for the party, has dismissed speculations that the outcome of the LS polls will have a bearing on his government. The JD(S), which is confident of winning at least five seats, is hoping that the exit polls would prove to be wrong. 

The fray

As many as 434 candidates are in the fray for 28 Lok Sabha from Karnataka. Six former chief ministers (B S Yeddyurappa, D V Sadananda Gowda, H D Kumaraswamy, M Veerappa Moily, N Dharam Singh and H D Deve Gowda) and two union ministers (Mallikarjun Kharge and K H Muniyappa) are contesting the polls. Bangalore South is the keenly watched constituency where Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani of the Congress has locked horns with BJP veteran Ananth Kumar.

The State recorded 67.28 per cent polling, which is the third highest in the history of parliamentary elections. Both the national parties are claiming that the increase in the turnout will be in their favour.