Karnataka Elections 2023: Possible kingmaker or distant third? JD(S) stares at big hit in vote share

Nearly four hours into the counting of votes for the Karnataka assembly election, the Janata Dal (Secular), which was being touted as a possible kingmaker in the event of a hung verdict, ahead of the results, now appears to have taken a big hit in its vote share and it may turn out that the regional party manages to secure fewer seats than its 2018 count. But, these are early trends and the scenario could well turn out to be a different one once the results are declared with the JD(S) score making a turnaround. It can once again be in a position to play kingmaker if the two arch rivals—the BJP and Congress – fall short of a majority and there is a hung verdict for the Karnataka assembly. For the JD(S), a few seats may decide if it is going to call the shots or is relegated to a distant third in the electoral contest. The HD Deve Gowda-led party won 37 seats in 2018 and cornered a vote share of over 20 per cent last time. In contrast, the party currently leads in 29 seats and its vote share is hovering around the 13 per cent mark. It is also significant that the BJP, despite a sharp dip in its seat count in these early trends, has not seen a dip in its vote share so far. The Congress, on the other hand, has gained about 5 percentage points in its vote share. This implies that the Congress’ gains have largely come from the JD(S)’s losses. Earlier this morning, JD(S) leader and Deve Gowda’s son HD Kumaraswamy said they are not in touch with any party about extending support if the results throw up a hung verdict and also added that there was no demand for his party. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.