BJP races ahead in exit polls for second phase

The exit poll surveys of the second phase of assembly elections in Karnataka have projected the BJP to be marching ahead of the Congress party.

An exit poll conducted for NDTV showed the BJP bagging 32-42 seats followed by the Congress party with 15-20 seats and JD (S) with 8-12 seats out of the 66 assembly constituencies that went to polls during the second phase on Friday.

A different exit poll conducted for Suvarna News projected 35 seats for the BJP, 20 for the Congress and 8 for the JD (S), leaving three seats for others.

Unlike the exit polls of the first phase of elections covering 89 assembly constituencies in the state that gave a split verdict, the projections of the exit polls of the second phase are almost identical with both the research organizations – IMRB for NDTV and C-fore for Suvarna News - matching each other in their findings.

According to NDTV exit polls, the BJP is projected to win a total of 73 seats out of the total 155 assembly constituencies that have already been covered in the first and second phase of polling. The Congress will come a distant second with 45 seats and the JD (S) will bag around 42 seats.

However, the findings of exit polls conducted by Suvarna News indicate towards a neck and neck race for power between the BJP and Congress, which are almost tied with 61 and 60 seats respectively out of the 155 constituencies. The JD (S) is projected to win 29 seats.

The last phase of polling scheduled for May 22 will cover the remaining 69 seats in the 224-member Karnataka assembly.

Notwithstanding the exit poll predictions, the Congress as well as the BJP are claiming that they would secure a comfortable majority to form the next Government in the State. Not to be outdone, former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said the JD (S) would surprise its critics by winning a minimum of 100 seats in the elections.

Counting of votes will be taken up on May 25 after the third and final phase of polling ends on May 22.