Karnataka records over 72 per cent turnout, Exit Polls predict edge to Congress

Voting for the Karnataka Assembly elections ended at 6 pm, with an overall turnout of over 72%. Exit polls are also out with most predicting a close contest between the Congress and the BJP with many pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party.

Voting came to an end for the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday at 6 pm with ECI's turnout app showing a tentative voter turnout of 72.18 per cent. The exit polls for the elections are also in, and they suggest a close contest between the BJP and Congress, with the latter potentially having an advantage. However, as in 2018, it is unlikely that either party will secure a majority, leaving the JD(S) to potentially hold the balance of power for the second time in a row.

Karnataka Exit Polls: Tight race with edge to Congress

Here are the day-long developments in this key election, the results of which will set the mood for the 2024 Lok Sabha battle

• 10:20 pm
  Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has rejected the exit poll results, which gave Congress an edge over the ruling BJP in the assembly elections and asserted that his party will win with clear majority. He also said the high voter turnout always favoured the BJP and not the Congress as some rival leaders have been claiming. Exit polls are exit polls. They can't be 100 per cent correct. There will be variation that can change the whole scenario, Bommai told reporters in his home constituency Shiggaon, from where he is contesting the election. Our ground report says we will win with absolute majority. Let us wait till May 13, the CM said.
• 9:56 pm
  "Largely peaceful voting in all 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, and no repoll indicated in any of the 58,545 polling stations," the Election Commission(EC) said. Violence was reported from some areas including an incident where a poll officer was allegedly manhandled by some villagers, according to reports from districts.
• 8:51 pm
  Poll of polls give Congress the edge: The poll of polls shows Congress will win 103 seats while BJP is projected to bag 94. No party is projected to be winning a clear majority
• 8:25 pm
  Most exit polls on Wednesday predicted a close contest between the Congress and the BJP in the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls with many pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party. While the ABP News-C Voter exit poll predicted that the Congress would get 100-112 seats, BJP 83-95, JD(S) 21-29, the Republic TV-P MARQ forecast that the Congress will get 94-108 seats, the BJP 85-100 and JD(S) 24-32. The India TV-CNX exit polls gave the Congress 110-120 seats and the BJP 80-90 seats. They predicted 20-24 seats for the JD (S). The TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat exit poll stated that the Congress is likely to get 99-109 seats, the BJP 88-98 and the JD(S) 21-26 while the Zee News-Matrize Agency predicted that the Congress would get 103-118, the BJP 79-94 and the JD(S) 25-33. The News Nation-CGS poll said the BJP would get 114 seats, the Congress 86 and the JD(S) 21. The Suvarna News-Jan Ki Baat forecast that the BJP was likely to win 94-117, Congress 91-106 and the JD(S) 14-24. Times Now-ETG exit polls gave 113 seats to the Congress and 85 to the BJP. It predicted 23 seats for JD (S).
• 7:50 pm
  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi thanked the voters of the state and lauded party leaders for a "well-run, dignified and people-oriented campaign "I want to thank the Babbar Sher workers and leaders of Congress for a well-run, dignified and solid people-oriented campaign. Thank you to the people of Karnataka for coming out in large numbers to vote for a progressive future," he said in a tweet.
• 6:44 pm
  According to the voter turnout figure for the polls to the 224-member Assembly, Ramanagara recorded the highest turnout of 78.22 per cent, while the lowest polling was from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) South limits (parts of Bengaluru city) at 48.63 per cent, election officials said.
• 6:08 pm
  Mysore Region has seen the highest voting percentage till 5 pm. The average is 75%. While Bengaluru again witnessed the least voting percentage with an average of 50%, Coastal Region comes second with 72% ( Udupi 74%, Dakshina Kannada 70%, Uttar Kannada 68%). Kittur Karnataka average is 68% (Bagalkot 70%, Belgaum 68%, Vijayapur 62%, Dharwad 63%, Gadag 69%, and Haveri 73%). Similarly, Kalyan Karnataka Bidar has recorded 62% turnout till 5 pm (Kalburgi 58%, Bellary 68%, Koppal 71%, Yadigir 59%, and Vijaynagar 72%). Central Karnataka average turnout is 70%.
• 5:54 pm
  JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said that his party is expected to take a "hit" in up to 25 Assembly segments, where it had chances of winning, due to financial crunch. Despite financial constraints, his party will be ahead of Congress and BJP in terms of winning the number of seats, the former Chief Minister claimed, as he asserted that his party will be 'King' and not just the 'Kingmaker'. "What has pained me is that I have not been able to financially support several of my candidates. My expectation was that I might get public support in terms of funds, I have taken a hit to an extent. At several constituencies which had winnable candidates like in Chikkaballapura and Doddaballapura, I have failed in financially supporting the candidates at the final stages," Kumaraswamy said.
• 5:40 pm
  Voter turnout stands at 68.69 percent by 5 pm with one more hour left for polling to end at 6 pm. Ramanagaram has recorded the highest 78.22 percent voting while BBMP North district has recorded the lowest 50.02 percent turnout till 5 pm.
• 5:33 pm
  23 arrested after poll official manhandled, ballot units damaged in Karnataka village: Villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura district stopped a poll duty vehicle carrying electronic voting machines (EVMs), manhandled an officer, and damaged control and ballot units on Wednesday following which 23 people were arrested, the Election Commission said. The villagers stopped a section officer's vehicle which was carrying reserved EVMs for the Assembly elections and damaged two control and ballot units each and three VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail), the EC said in a statement.
• 5:30 pm
  First-time voters and the elderly stole the show as they were seen participating in the voting process enthusiastically in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday. According to Election Commission (EC) officials, as many as 11.71 lakh were eligible to exercise their franchise for the first time.
• 5:06 pm
  Vokkaliga Mutt leader Nirmalananda Swamiji casts his vote in Karnataka's Nagamangala district.
• 4:13 pm
  Two voters died at polling booths in separate incidents. Both incidents were unrelated. While a 70-year-old woman died while standing in the queue at a booth in Belagavi district, Jayanna, 49, died minutes after voting at Chikkole, Belur.
• 3:50 pm
  Violent incidents were reported from at least three places during polling to the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, police sources told the news agency PTI. At Masabinal village in Basavana Bagewadi taluk of Vijayapura district, several angry villagers destroyed some electronic voting machines, VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines and damaged the vehicles of polling officers, after "rumours" that the officials were "changing" the EVMs and VVPATs. Another two incidents were reported in Padmanabhanagar constituency in Bengaluru and Sanjeevarayanakote in Ballari district, respectively.
• 3:37 pm
  Voter turnout picked up momentum and crossed the 50 per cent mark by 3 pm. The total voter turnout across the state stood at 52.18 per cent, with three more hours left for polling to end at 6 pm. In the eight hours of voting, which began at 7 am, Ramanagara recorded the highest turnout of 63.36 per cent, while the the lowest polling was seen in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) South limits (parts of Bengaluru city) at 40.28 per cent, election officials said.
• 3:04 pm
  State minister and BJP candidate from Tiptur assembly constituency, BC Nagesh and his family cast their votes in Tipatur.
• 3:04 pm
  A complaint and a counter-complaint have been lodged at the Bajpe police station in Mangaluru after Congress workers alleged that the supporters of Mangaluru North Janata Dal (Secular) candidate B A Mohiuddin Bava assaulted them on Tuesday night. Two Congress workers who were injured in the scuffle, Nizam and Hasher, have been admitted to a private hospital. Bava had switched over to JD(S) recently after he was denied a Congress ticket. Sources said the incident occurred when Congress workers intercepted a car alleging that the JD(S) candidate had brought money in a car to distribute to voters, which led to an altercation between the two groups.
• 2.51 pm
  Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at a presser said he hopes that BJP will learn a lesson on May 13 as the public's love was with the Congress.
• 2.47 pm
  HD Devegowda praises HD Revanna for ‘all-round development’ in Haradanahalli. "It's a small village. All round development has taken place. Credit should go to HD Revanna, who represents this constituency," Devegowda said after casting his vote at his native village Haradanahalli in Hassan district.
• 2.05 pm
  Actor Kiccha Sudeep casts his vote, says he has not come as a celebrity but as an Indian and it is his responsibility to vote.
• 2.02 pm
  Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Devegowda cast his vote along with his wife.
• 1.36 pm
  Voter turnout at 1 pm stood at 37.25 across the state. The highest turnout was reported in Kampli recording 49.89 per cent and lowest in Pulakeshinagar Vijaynagar 26.41 per cent.
• 12.50 pm
  Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and his wife Radhabai Kharge cast their votes at a polling booth in Kalaburagi.
• 11.37 am
  Voter turnout stood at 20.99 per cent across Karnataka. Karkal Assembly constituency has recorded, the highest among all 224 constituencies, 33 per cent while CV Raman Nagar recorded the least voter turnout of 11.62 per cent, according to Voter Turnout
• 11.04 am
  Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says, though he will not retire from active politics, he will not be contesting again. He casts his vote from Varuna constituency. Earlier he offered prayers at a temple in Varuna.
• 10.55 am
  Senior Karnataka BJP leader KS Eshwarappa says Congress and JD(S) have attempted Muslim appeasement but nationalist Muslims are with the BJP. Those who support anti-national organisations like PFI are with Congress, he adds.
• 10.51 am
  After Congress leader DK Shivakumar took on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by reminding the latter of the rise in cooking LPG prices, Congress gas cylinder drama continues. Party workers garland LPG cylinder and burn incense sticks near it, in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar area.
• 10.37 am
  BJP MP Tejasvi Surya casts his vote in Bengaluru. He takes pride in Congress offering puja to gas cylinders.
• 10.31 am
  Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says the Congress will get 130 plus seats, it may go up to 150 seats also.
• 10.22 am
  Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena casts his vote at Hebbal constituency.
• 10.10 am
  Ramalinga Reddy, Karnataka Congress working president casts his vote.
• 10.06 am
  Jagadish Shettar, former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Hubli-Dharwad Central Assembly constituency casts his vote.
• 10.00 am
  BJP MP Tejasvi Surya who came to cast his vote says Karnataka, the land of Bajrang Bali, will answer all the Congress on Saturday. We welcome DK Shivakumar and Congress party offering prayers to LPG cylinders, he says. We are happy that Congress is doing some kind of puja at least, he adds.
• 9.45 am
  The state has recorded a voter turn out of 8.11 per cent in the first two hours of polling, according to the Election Commission of India.
• 9.25 am
  Congress leader DK Shivakumar reminded voters of rocketing cooking gas prices. "I am appealing to everyone. Please cast your vote after having a look at our gas cylinders. I have advised all my leaders to put a gas cylinder outside the booth and put a garland on it."
• 9.10 am
  Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai casts his vote at Shiggaon. Says he has done his duty towards democracy. It is his privilege to vote in his constituency. Says he will win by a record margin. People of Karnataka will vote for positive development and BJP will get a comfortable majority, he says
• 8.35 am
  Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman casts her vote at Jayanagar. Says she stands with people in terms of inflation and Opposition has no right to talk about it. Nirmala blamed Congress of being stupid to pit itself against Bajrang Dal and writing it on their manifesto.
• 8.20 am
  Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murty cast their votes in Bengaluru. Sudha in her message to message to young voters said: "Please look at us. We are oldies but we get up at 6 o'clock, come here and vote. Please learn from us. Voting is a sacred part of democracy..."
• 7.50 am
  After he cast his vote, Yediyurappa said Vijayendra will win by a margin of 40,000 votes and BJP will return to power in the southern state. "We will get the absolute majority and form the government. More than 75-80% will support BJP. We will win 130-135 seats."
• 7.30 am
  Former Chief Minister and BJP senior leader BS Yediyurappa waits in line to cast his vote in Shikaripura constituency. Earlier, he offered prayers at Raghavendra Swamy Mutt in Shikaripura, along with his family. His son BY Vijayendra replaced him as candidate from this constituency.
• 7.28 am
  Actor Prakash Raj casts his vote in St Joseph's School in Shanti Nagar, Bengaluru. He stressed on the need to vote against communal politics. "We need Karnataka to be beautiful."
• 7.15 am
  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people to vote in large numbers and shared an image in Twitter featuring five major promises of the grand old party.
• 7 am
  Voting for the high-stakes in Karnataka Assembly Elections begins in all 224 Assembly segments across the state.
• 6.56 am
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the electorate of Karnataka to participate in the voting in large numbers. "Urging the people of Karnataka, particularly young and first time voters to vote in large numbers and enrich the festival of democracy," he said in a Tweet.
• 6.34 am
  Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reset after the mock poll and were calibrated for the actual voting which is set to begin at 7 am.
• 6.22 am
  Mock polls were carried out in all the polling stations and polled votes were counted and checked in the presence of the polling agents in all the polling stations.