Bengaluru: The BJP is likely to improve its tally in Karnataka and open its account in Kerala, exit polls predicted Sunday.
According to NDTV’s Poll of Polls, which takes the average of all exit polls, the forecast is for the BJP to win 19 seats in Karnataka, up by three from its 2014 tally, despite a ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state. In Tamil Nadu, the opposition DMK-Congress combine is expected to sweep the polls with 27 of the 38 seats. The AIADMK-BJP combine is expected to win 10.
The southern states have a total of 129 Lok Sabha seats, and the YSR Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi are predicted to sweep the polls in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Kerala
In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF is set to win 13 seats, with the ruling Left set to be reduced to five and the BJP opening its account with one seat. Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, who is standing for a third term from Thiruvananthapuram, is facing a tough fight from BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan. This is the seat the BJP hopes to win.
Karnataka
Most exit polls predict that the BJP could win between 17 and 25 seats out of Karnataka’s 28.
The numbers could spell trouble for the already-turbulent partnership between the Congress and the JD(S), with a looming threat of the government falling if one of the alliance partners decides to withdraw.
Sources in the Congress told ThePrint that it doesn’t want to be seen as a party that brought the government down in the state, but the BJP will be watching keenly to swoop in and poach MLAs to try and form the government. State BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa has been waiting for this opportunity ever since he lost his chief ministerial seat despite BJP being the single-largest party in the assembly polls in 2018.
Also read: Exit polls predict surge for Modi’s NDA, yet another drubbing for Congress
Andhra Pradesh
In Andhra Pradesh, where there are a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats, NDTV Poll of Polls predicts nine seats for Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and 16 seats for the YSR Congress led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Jagan factor seems to have created a lasting impression, especially after his long march across the state to gather support for his party. Calling it the “walk of his life” spanning over 3,648 kilometres, Jagan strategically focused on the anti-incumbency brewing against Naidu, who he claims lied to the people of the state about getting a special package.
For Naidu, the numbers indicate a struggle to keep himself relevant not just in his own state but also nationally.
Also read: 4 reasons why Modi remains in the hunt for a second term
Tamil Nadu
The Congress was pinning its hopes on Tamil Nadu, and the state seems to be among the few rewarding it.
DMK chief Stalin’s aggressive campaign as well his strategy to project the inability of the AIADMK to fill the void after Jayalalithaa’s passing is expected to show results.
Telangana
A sweep for KCR’s TRS could be good news for the BJP or the Congress at the national level. On the one hand, KCR is known to be close to PM Modi , but in the last few weeks, his efforts to build support for his ‘Federal Front’ have him convinced that most regional parties seem to want to support the Congress.
His last meeting with DMK chief Stalin resulted in KCR reportedly warming up to the idea of supporting the Congress-led UPA.
Of the 17 seats in Telangana, the NDTV Poll of Polls has predicted 12 seats for the TRS, two for the Congress and one for the BJP.
That may be a small dose of good news for Congress and DMK. But not for the “people” in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Rahul will have to be making many trips to these two states to tell the people that Modi is, ‘this’, ‘that’ and the ‘other’, and a very bad PM, and mocking at Modi all the time. THAT is all that HE can do. . Can they live only with that?
Karnatala people are softer and gentler people, the coastal belt sees Modi as sabiour because of rising seperatist muslims, what they are not seeing how local bengaluru banks like profit making Vijaya bank being taken over by gujarati loss making bank of baroda affecting kannadiga jobs and kannada identity. Kannadigas need to resort to identity politics of the TN type else Modi will hijack all kannada profit making entities, our useless karnataka politicians like temple hopping Kumaraswamy and Corrupt to the core George and DK shivakumar are solely responsible for rise of BJP.
The governments of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh will feel the strongest aftershocks from this earthquake.