Karnataka the only positive for BJP in the south, UPA set for big wins in TN & Kerala
Politics

Karnataka the only positive for BJP in the south, UPA set for big wins in TN & Kerala

Exit polls predict a near-sweep for the BJP in Karnataka, but in the rest of the southern states, Congress’ alliances and regional powers set for big wins.

   
Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa (left) with Narendra Modi (centre) and MP Anantha Kumar (right) in 2009 in Karnataka

Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa (left) with Narendra Modi (centre) and MP Anantha Kumar (right) in 2009 | Yeddyurappa's official website

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.


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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.


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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.