With the clock ticking for the Lok Sabha election results, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday rubbished exit polls and asserted that Congress would win 15-20 seats in Karnataka.
Exit polls on Saturday predicted that the BJP-JD(S) alliance would win a minimum of 18 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi a clear third term in office. No exit poll gave Congress more than eight seats in Karnataka.
“Already Rahul Gandhi has reacted to the exit polls. He called it Modi’s media survey. In Karnataka, we’ll win more seats. We’ll win 15-20 seats,” Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah also endorsed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s view. “Kharge has said that the INDIA bloc will win 295 seats. I support that,” he said.
In 2019, the BJP swept Karnataka by winning 25 seats. The Congress and JD(S) - then coalition partners - won one seat each. One seat was won by a BJP-backed Independent.
This time, the JD(S) partnered with BJP and contested in three seats - Hassan, Mandya and Kolar.
The Lok Sabha poll results will determine the future course of politics in Karnataka as a good show by BJP would put the ruling Congress in a spot.
In the BJP, too, speculation is rife that “suppressed anger” in the anti-B S Yediyurappa camp, may erupt after the Lok Sabha results against his son, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra. However, if the BJP wins the highest number of seats, Vijayendra would get some armour to defend himself.
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