Stage set for counting of votes in Karnataka Assembly poll tomorrow

The counting of votes polled for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls which witnessed a fierce fight between archrivals BJP and the Congress besides the JDS will be taken up on Saturday as the parties are waiting with bated breath to know their fate over the possibility of a hung assemblyThe electoral fortunes of top leaders Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP Congress heavyweights Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and JDS HD Kumaraswamy among many others will be known on SaturdayThe counting will begin at 8 am in 36 centres across the state and poll officials expect a clear picture about the outcome is likely to emerge by middayElaborate security arrangements have been made across the State especially in and around the counting centres to avoid any untoward incidents official sources saidThe State registered a record turnout of 7319 per cent in the voting on May 10 to elect representatives to the 224 member AssemblyWith most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and BJP leaders of the two parties seem jittery over the outcome while the JDS appears to be expecting a hung verdict which would enable it to play a role in government formationMost pollsters have given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP while also indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly in the stateAlso Read Sonia Gandhi never spoke of Ktaka sovereignty Cong deletes erroneous tweetHaving banked on the Modi juggernaut the ruling BJP is looking to break a 38yearold poll jinx where the people have never voted the incumbent party to power while the Congress is hoping for a morale booster victory to give it a muchneeded elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha electionsIt also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowdaled JDS will emerge as a kingmaker or a king by holding the key to government formation in the event of a hung verdict as it has done in the pastLike it has been the trend for about the last two decades Karnataka witnessed a threecornered contest with a direct fight between the said parties in most of the constituenciesThe Aam Aadmi PartyAAP which is in power in Delhi and Punjab has also fielded its candidates Also there were some smaller parties in the fray in a few constituenciesA government with full majority was the strong pitch of the leaders of all the political parties during the highdecibel no holds barred campaigning that ended on Monday as they stressed on getting a clear mandate to form a strong and stable government unlike what happened after the 2018 pollsThe BJP had then emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats followed by Congress with 80 seats and JDS 37 There was also one independent member while the BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party KPJP got one legislator each electedIn the 2018 elections the Congress garnered a voteshare of 3804 per cent followed by the BJP 3622 per cent and the JDS 1836 per centWith no party getting a clear majority at the time and as Congress and JDS were trying to forge an alliance B S Yediyurappa of the BJP which was the single largest party staked claim and formed the government However it was dissolved within three days ahead of a trust vote as the saffron party strongman was unable to muster the required numbersSubsequently the CongressJDS alliance formed the government with Kumaraswamy as CM but the wobbly dispensation collapsed in 14 months triggered by the resignation of 17 ruling coalition legislators and their subsquent defection to the BJP This enabled the BJPs return to power In the bypolls held subsequently in 2019 the ruling party won 12 out of 15 seatsIn the outgoing Assembly the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs followed by the Congress 69 JDS 29 BSP one independents two speaker one and vacant six following deaths and resignations to join other parties ahead of the pollsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever