On Karnataka exit poll results, Shivakumar says ‘don't believe in these numbers’

Exit polls predicted a tight contest between the Congress and the BJP in the Karnataka Assembly polls with most pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said he doesn't believe in exit poll results projecting a hung assembly in Karnataka and asserted that his party will get at least 146 seats in the 224-member House. Shivakumar, who contested from the Kanakapura assembly constituency, said the situation to form a coalition with any party will not arise.

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar along with Leader of the Opposition of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and former state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.(ANI)

Most pollsters have predicted a hung assembly with Congress emerging as the single largest party. However, India Today-Axis My India and News24-Today's Chanakya have projected a clear majority for the Congress party. While India Today-Axis My India has projected 122 to 140 seats for Congress, Today's Chanakya has projected 120 seats with an error margin of 11 seats.

“My first reaction is that I don't believe these numbers (exit polls). I stand by my numbers that we will cross 146 seats. People are highly educated and are looking at larger interests because the double engine has failed in Karnataka. The situation will not arise (to form alliance with any party),” Shivakumar said.

While the ABP News-C Voter exit poll predicted that the Congress would get 100-112 seats, BJP 83-95, JD(S) 21-29, the Republic TV-P MARQ forecast that the Congress will get 94-108 seats, the BJP 85-100 and JD(S) 24-32.

The India TV-CNX exit polls gave the Congress 110-120 seats and the BJP 80-90 seats. They predicted 20-24 seats for the JD (S).

The TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat exit poll stated that the Congress is likely to get 99-109 seats, the BJP 88-98 and the JD(S) 21-26 while the Zee News-Matrize Agency predicted that the Congress would get 103-118, the BJP 79-94 and the JD(S) 25-33.

The News Nation-CGS poll said the BJP would get 114 seats, the Congress 86 and the JD(S) 21. The Suvarna News-Jan Ki Baat forecast that the BJP was likely to win 94-117, Congress 91-106 and the JD(S) 14-24.

Times Now-ETG exit polls gave 113 seats to the Congress and 85 to the BJP. It predicted 23 seats for JD (S).

The result of the three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) will be announced on Saturday.