Karnataka   

Another term of coalition politics in Karnataka?

BANGALORE: All eyes will be on the Election Commission as the counting of votes in the elections to the Karnataka Assembly begins at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

In a matter of hours, it will become clear whether the State will have a stable government or may be headed for another phase of coalition politics. Politicians, people, industry and trade are hoping that it will not be another fractured verdict as happened in 2004.

Opinion polls and exit polls have not helped unravel the mystery, with conflicting results emerging from different surveys. The real fight it appears is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, but the Janata Dal (Secular) may still emerge as the kingmaker.

It remains to be seen if the people give any party a clear majority or let them work out another coalition arrangement. The Congress is contesting in 222 seats with the BJP fielding candidates in 224 and the JD(S) trying its luck in 223 constituencies. Among the other players in this election are the Janata Dal (United), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party, and the Left parties. While the BJP from the word go has projected B.S. Yeddyurappa as its nominee for Chief Ministership, the Congress has shied away from doing that. Party leaders have taken the line that the Congress has never projected any particular candidate for leadership. The former Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna was pulled out of Raj Bhavan in Mumbai and appointed chairman of the election coordination and management committee to play an important role in the campaign.

The State unit has a president in M. Mallikarjun Kharge, and a Leader of the Opposition in the previous Legislative Assembly in N. Dharam Singh. Another leader in the reckoning is Siddaramaiah, who crossed over from the JD (Secular).

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