K'taka elections: Key BJP meeting at Yeddyurappa's residence in B'luru

BENGALURU: A day before the counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday held a key meeting with top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from the state.

The meeting was held at the residence of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in Bengaluru.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would secure an absolute majority and return to power for a second term to form government in the southern state.

Speaking to ANI, Yediyurappa said, "I am 100 per cent confident that the BJP will secure an absolute majority and form the government". Yeddyurappa's response came after exit polls predicted Congress's edge over the BJP in Karnataka polls. The BJP leader refuted any possibility of a hung assembly. With exit polls giving Congress an edge over the BJP in the Karnataka Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the BJP will come to power with a "comfortable majority" as he was confident with the party's ground reports.

"All the exit polls predicted that Yogi Adityanath will not come back but he came back in Uttar Pradesh. Last time, they (exit polls) predicted only 80 seats for BJP and 107 for Congress but it came reverse... We are confident with our ground reports and we will come with a comfortable majority," Bommai told ANI on Thursday.

On a question about forming an alliance with JD(S), in case the party falls short of a majority, he said, "At that time, National leadership is going to take a decision. The question does not arise. I am certain that the party will get 115-117 seats".

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said he did not believe in the exit poll results, which predicted a hung Assembly while putting his party ahead, adding that they will cross the 146-seat mark.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the Congress MLA said, "My first reaction (to the exit-poll projections) is that I don't believe these numbers. I stand by my assessment, that we will win more than 146 seats. People are knowledgeable and educated and have voted considering the larger interests of the state. The double engine has failed in Karnataka. Such a situation (which might prompt the Congress to go into a post-poll alliance) will not arise."

The Janata Dal (Secular) national spokesperson Tanveer Ahmed on Friday said that they have already decided which party they would support in forming the government after the results are declared. Speaking to ANI, Ahmed said, "We have already decided with whom we are going to form the government. We will announce it to the public when the appropriate time comes."

Congress is expected to have a clear edge in Karnataka in the assembly elections held on Wednesday with four exit polls giving it a full majority and some predicting a hung assembly with an advantage to the party.

A few exit polls also said that BJP is ahead and is likely to form the government.

The exit polls, which were released after the polling ended in Karnataka, predicted that Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) would not touch the 37 seats it won in the 2018 polls but would continue to be a strong regional player in the state. If Karnataka throws up a hung assembly, the JD-S could emerge as the kingmaker.

According to India Today-Axis My India exit poll, Congress is poised to win a comfortable majority with 122-140 seats, BJP will get 62-80 seats, JD(S) 20-25 and others 0-3 seats.

A party needs 113 seats for a majority in the 224-member Karnataka assembly.

The poll of polls shows an advantage for the Congress with the party poised to win 109 seats, BJP 91 seats and JD-S 23. News24-Today's Chanakya predicted Congress crossing the halfway mark. It said BJP is poised to win 92 seats, Congress, 120 and JD-S 12 seats. Times Now-ETG poll and India TV-CNX poll also predicted Congress hitting the majority mark. Times Now-ETG said BJP is expected to win 85 seats, Congress 113, JD-S 23 and others three.