Karnataka Polls

In Karnataka, early polling showed a 9.21% voter turnout, with various districts reporting varied rates. Urban areas like Bengaluru saw around 8-10%, while Udupi Chikmagalur and Dakshina Kannada had higher engagement at approximately 13-14%. Despite the heat, voters displayed high enthusiasm, using umbrellas to cope with the sun, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda participated, casting his vote in Hassan.

After nearly six months since its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Shivamogga airport commenced its commercial operations on August 31. The airport, located in the home district of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, was unveiled in February 2023 ahead of the Karnataka polls. With an estimated cost of Rs 450 crore, the airport is anticipated to play a pivotal role in driving economic, industrial, tourism, and educational growth within the region.

Earlier this month, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday expressed confidence that the BRS would return to power in the state Assembly elections.

DK Shivakumar, the man largely credited for the Congress party's victory in the Karnataka polls, cut cake and celebrated on the sidelines of the CLP meet. Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature Party decided that the final call on the next Karnataka chief minister will be taken by Mallikarjun Kharge. 

The Congress returned to power on its own in Karnataka after 10 years, knocking the BJP off its only southern perch on Saturday as voters decisively backed the grand old party desperately seeking electoral revival ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A trusted lieutenant of the Gandhi family, DK Shivakumar, an eight-time MLA, is considered as a "troubleshooter" for the party.

As the results from the May 10 election rolled in, belying several exit polls that predicted a hung assembly, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai conceded defeat -- the second loss for the BJP after Himachal Pradesh in December last year.

Regarding Congress' progress during the vote-counting process, the former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan predicted that Congress will win Karnataka with a sizable majority.

Despite several companies declaring a day off for citizens to exercise their voting rights in the Karnataka Election 2023, Bangalore Urban recorded a voter turnout of only 53.08 per cent.

In the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls, the state recorded a voter turnout of 72.36 percent. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is seeking re-election from Shiggaon in Haveri district for a fourth consecutive term, said he would win with a record margin. Bommai said the party would get a "comfortable majority".

The Asianet News-Jan Ki Baat Exit Poll has indicated that on May 13, the Bharatiya Janata Party would emerge as the single largest party.

Ahead of the Karnataka Election 2023, PM Narendra Modi addressed 18 rallies in the southern state and spoke to party members through a virtual interaction on April 27. He also led six roadshows -- three in Bengaluru and one each in Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Tumakuru.

Even during the Bengaluru roadshow on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi was seen donning the traditional Mysore Peta.

The latest opinion poll, commissioned by Asianet News Network and conducted by Jan Ki Baat between April 15 and May 1 after ticket distribution and nomination filing by key candidates of three major political parties in the state, shows the BJP gaining ground while the JD-S is struggling to hold on to its vote bank.

A comprehensive survey commissioned by Asianet News Network and conducted by Jan Ki Baat between April 15 and May 1 has predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party would emerge as the single largest party in the state on May 13 when the counting of votes is undertaken.