BJP set to form the government on its own in Karnataka.

BJP’s saffron wave seems to have weakened the grip of Congress’s hand in Karnataka. The early trends have surprised both the Congress and JDS alike since the start of counting. BJP is leading in a majority of seats out of a total of 222 seats in Karnataka according to the Election Commission of India website. BJP’s vote share has risen to over 50% according to the latest reports from the ECI. BJP’s CM candidate B S Yeddyurappa is maintaining a strong lead in his Shikaripura constituency from the ST/SC dominated Eastern belt. Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to save Congress from its demise in the last Congress bastion seems to have failed drastically.

PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s rallies seemed to have done what the BJP has been trying to do in the past many decades. While Rahul Gandhi’s campaigns in 14 constituencies have failed to provide the necessary lead to the Congress leaders from those areas, PM Modi and CM Yogi’s rallies seems to have done the trick in Karnataka. People have reposed their faith in BJP and CM Yogi, as is evident from the early lead BJP has maintained in the constituencies where CM Yogi had rallied before the polls. Shirahatti, a Bellwether seat which has for the past elected a candidate from the winning party is strongly going in BJP’s favour as of now. BJP is also currently leading on five of the seven other bellwether seats.

Bagalkot, Sirsi, Hubli Dharwad Central, Honalli, Chitradurga and Gokak constituencies where CM Yogi had campaigned before the polls are going strongly in the favour of BJP. Rahul Gandhi’s ‘magical charm’ seem to have closed the fate of Congress in Karnataka as all the 14  rallies done by him have failed to woo the voters in Congress’s favour.

All the regions where PM Modi had campaigned in seem to have welcomed BJP with open arms. BJP candidates from Coastal, Eastern and North Central regions have maintained a steady lead. The same has surprisingly happened in the ST/SC seat, thanks to PM Modi effect. 

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Rahul Gandhi and Congress’s attempts at retaining their voter base from the ST/SC dominated Eastern belt has drastically failed, JDS too seems to have gained owing in the Eastern belt owing to the poor performance of the Congress leaders till now.

BJP has also maintained a lead in the Muslim dominated seats in Karnataka, owing to the vote split between Congress and JDS. The vote percentage for BJP candidates has been above 40% in the Muslim dominated seats. A commendable feat owing to the fact that BJP did not indulge in the divisive politics of the type played by Congress. The minority votes seems to have split between the Congress and the JDS, giving BJP the edge. 

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As the day progresses it will make it clear what fate has in store for the Congress in Karnataka, the tweets by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla suggest that Congress has accepted defeat even before the final declarations. More such tweets and statements will follow once the wipeout of Congress is clear. Just wait.