BJP may capture one to three seats in Telangana and one seat in Kerala. However, the party finds no presence in the other states of the south. But, the party is all set to paint Karnataka saffron
Bengaluru: Sunday's (May 19) exit polls, on an average, predicted 21-25 seats (out of 28) for the BJP in Karnataka, making it the saffron party's gateway to the southern part of the nation. However, in Telangana and Kerala, the BJP could bag only one to three seats on an average, but finds hardly any presence in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Though the Sabarimala temple controversy was an issue that the BJP banked on, the UDF, led by the Congress, seems to have reaped the benefits of it in Kerala with exit polls predicting 15-16 on an average.
Also read: Chandrababu Naidu, KCR, Jagan could play a part in next government
In Karnataka, the Assembly election last year turned out to be a dampener for the BJP as they were boxed into the opposition despite majority seats, thanks to the Congress-JD(S) coalition. The squabble-ridden equation between the coalition partners has been grabbing headlines in the recent past.
Sources say that the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah is unhappy with HD Kumaraswamy adorning the chief minister's throne for obvious reasons. Siddaramaiah is a former JDS leader, who has been critical of Kumaraswamy and his father Deve Gowda, ever since he became a Congressman.
Siddaramaiah is also touted to have played a major role in giving a hard time for the JD(S) in Mandya and Tumakuru during the Lok Sabha election, where the latter fielded Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil and former Prime Minister Gowda respectively.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.