Karnataka: CM Bommai offers prayers at Saundatti Shri Renuka Yellama Temple in Belagavi

Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], May 11 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday offered prayer at Saundatti Shri Renuka Yellama Temple located in Belagavi ahead of the counting of the votes for the Karnataka Assembly elections that will take place Saturday.

Elections for the state assembly were held on Wednesday and the voter turnout was recorded to be 72.82 per cent, a high figure compared to past trends.

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 in the sweepstakes 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 will continue to be a strong regional player in the state.

If Karnataka throws up a hung assembly, the JD-S could emerge in the role of 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.

However, Bommai on Wednesday rejected the exit poll results, saying “Exit polls are exit polls. They can’t be 100 per cent correct. There will be a variation that can change the whole scenario.”

The India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicted a clear majority for the Congress with 122-140 seats in the 224-member assembly and gave the BJP 62-80 seats.

News 24-Today’s Chanakya forecast a majority for the Congress with 120 seats as against 92 for the BJP and 12 for the JD(S).