Karnataka poll results today
Statesman News Service
BANGALORE, May 24: The stage is set for counting of votes tomorrow across 48 centres in the state for the Assembly elections which were held in three phases, the last being completed on 22 May.
The hard fought contest in which over 1500 candidates pitted themselves against each other from 224 constituencies, has been peaceful, if not totally uneventful. The credit for that must obviously go to theElection Commission and the officials concerned.
As in 2004, this time too the main parties in the fray include the BJP, Congress and the JD-S with the BSP, Samajwadi Party and the Independents chipping in their bit. What is different this time is the aggressive nature of the contest with each of the major parties making a determined bid to garner enough votes to be able to form a government on its own.
The experience of the 2004 elections which resulted in a hung Assembly and formation of two coalition governments with disastrous effects, is something that all the three parties involved are desperate to avoid this time.
It explains why the BJP which got 79 seats in 2004 (31 per cent of the votes), followed by Congress with 65 (35 per cent) and the JDS with 58 (21 per cent), have left nothing to chance this time. A swing of a few percent in their favour, is what the major parties are praying for now.
Each party has had its problems, including dissatisfaction over distribution of tickets, leading to rebellion in the ranks with some of the unhappy members deciding to contest as Independents. These few dissatisfied people, if successful, could play a major role in the event of a hung Assembly as it would not be difficult for their parentparties to woo them back if required.

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