The Congress Legislature Party in Karnataka is set to hold a meeting on Sunday as the party hopes to form a government in the state. With counting underway after the May 10 Assembly polls, both the BJP and Congress are eagerly waiting to know their fate over the possibility of a hung assembly. The Congress has reportedly booked a resort in Hyderabad as a “precautionary measure”, should they need to take MLAs there. If Congress secures a clear majority, a new government will be formed immediately, according to sources. However, if there is no clear majority, Plan B will come into effect, and MLAs will be taken to Hyderabad.
The Congress currently appears to be returning to power with a clear majority, leading on 119 seats, followed by the BJP on 72 seats, JD(S) on 25, and Others on 8, as per the official ECI trends. The BJP is hoping to break a 38-year-old poll jinx, while the Congress is looking for a morale booster victory to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Most exit polls predict a tight contest between Congress and BJP, with the JD(S), expecting a hung verdict that would enable it to play a role in government formation. The electoral fortunes of top leaders such as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress heavyweights Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, and JD(S)’ HD Kumaraswamy, among others, will be known soon.
Karnataka witnessed a three-cornered contest between the said parties in most constituencies. The state saw a “record” turnout of 73.19% in the voting, which elected representatives to the 224-member Assembly. It remains to be seen whether JD(S) 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 past.
