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All eyes on Karnataka as counting begins today
Anita Katyal
Our Political Correspondent

New Delhi, May 24
Both the BJP and the Congress are anxiously awaiting the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls tomorrow as this outcome could well set the tone for next year’s Lok Sabha results.

If the BJP is able to form its first government in the South, it will predictably galvanise its cadres and further strengthen the public perception that the saffron outfit is on a comeback trail. On the other hand, the Congress morale will further plummet if it has to sit in the Opposition in Karnataka, especially since the party has faced consistent defeat in a string of Assembly polls over the last year.

“If the BJP takes Karnataka, then there is no stopping their journey to Delhi,” remarked a senior Congress leader, a clear give away of the despondency which has gripped the old party on the eve of the results. Another Congress leader admitted that in case of a strong undercurrent of support for the BJP, the saffron party may touch 110, two short of a majority in the 224-member Vidhan Sabha.

All eyes are actually on the performance of the Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (S) which, according to all predictions, is set to emerge as a kingmaker once again as his party is not faring as badly as its opponents had expected. As of now, both the BJP and the Congress have said they would not go in for an alliance with the JD (S) and would prefer to sit in the Opposition.

“The JD (S) is expected to win 30-35 seats and that is bad news for us as we were expecting to gain at the expense of the JD (S),” said a senior Congress leader. A good showing by the JD (S), he explained, would directly hit the Congress as both these parties share the same support base of minorities, Dalits and backward castes.

Virtually throwing in the towel even before the results had been declared, Congress leaders confessed that they were ill-prepared for these elections as they had assumed that the polls would be delayed till October to enable the delimitation exercise to be completed.

The runaway inflation and the recent blast in the Hubli courts worked against the Congress as the BJP had made price rise and terrorism as their main electoral planks. Moreover, the S.M. Krishna magic failed to pull in the Vokalliga voters for the Congress.

The party is, however, banking on Siddaramiah to consolidate the Kurba vote, C.M. Ibrahim for the minorities, M.P. Prakash to counter the Lingayat support for the BJP and Mallikarjun Kharge to win them Dalit support.

In sharp contrast to the Congress, the mood in the BJP camp is definitely more upbeat as they feel that a fairly good performance of the JD (S) will work in its favour. It also believes the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yedyurappa will help in the Lingayat consolidation while a marginal improvement by the BSP will only hurt the Congress.

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