R. KANNAN and S.S. KARNADSHA write: Voters in 66 constituencies in 10 districts go to the polls tomorrow in the second phase of the elections to the Karnataka Assembly. And churumuri.com is pleased to offer its second, amateur, grassroots survey of how it is likely to turn out for the parties.
Our short term reading: BJP 31, Congress, 26, JDS 9.
Our medium term prediction: It’s going to be a hung assembly.
Like in the first churumuri.com survey (see full methodology below), we travelled to at least one constituency in six of the 10 districts going to the polls tomorrow. For the other districts, we relied on a variety of sources over the telephone, and also took into account media reports.
Unlike other opinion polls and pre-poll surveys, which only give a random seat count, we pinpoint the likely winners in each of the 66 constituencies.
Among our key findings are:
# It is going to be 50-50 for the Congress and the BJP in the communally hot coastal districts despite Narendra Modi‘s campaign, and a CNN-IBN-CSDS-Deccan Herald finding.
# B.S. Yediyurappa looks more likely to overcome S. Bangarappa in the battle of former chief ministers in Shikaripura despite Congress and JDS not putting up candidates.
# M.P. Prakash the former deputy chief minister, who hopped over to the Congress from JDS is likely to be trounced in Harapanahalli.
# Mine baron Anil Lad is unlikely to break the stranglehold of the Reddy brothers in Bellary city despite his jump to the Congress and Diwakar Babu‘s return to the party.
# M.P. Renukacharya is set to return to the assembly from Honnali despite the scandal surrounding his involvement in the nurse Jayalakshmi.
By our reckoning, after the first two phases of polling, the Congress will end up with 67 seats, the BJP with 52, and JDS 30. The half-way mark in the 224-member Karnataka assembly is 114. Which means of the remaining 69 seats in the third and final phase of polling, the Congress will have to bag 47 and the BJP 62 to form a government on their own.
Which also means JDS, which has 30 seats from the first two phases by our count, will again play a very key role in the formation of the next government, as predicted by H.D. Deve Gowda. Either one of the two big parties will have to swallow its pride and tie up with it again, or there will have to be defections en masse from the JDS ranks.
Only Suvarna News (through C-Fore) has conducted an exit poll of the first phase and a pre-poll survey of the second phase. By C-Fore’s reckoning, Congress will end up with between 59-67 seats, BJP 60-66, and JDS 25-31 at the end of the two phases of polling. By that count, Congress have have to bag 47 of the remaining 69, and BJP 44.
Statistically, anything is possible, but how likely?
***
CHITRADURGA: Congress 4, JDS 2
Chitradurga: Congress, G.H. Tippa Reddy
Hosadurga: Congress, B.G. Govindappa
Hiriyur: JDS, D. Yashodhara
Challakere (ST): Congress, Sashikumar
Molkalmuru (ST): JDS, G.M. Tippeswamy
Holalkere (SC): Congress, H Anjaneya***
BELLARY: Congress 3, BJP 6
Bellary (ST): BJP, B Sriramulu
Hadagali (SC): Congress, P.T. Parameshwara Naik
Hagaribommanahalli (SC): BJP, Nemiraj Naik
Vijayanagar: Congress, H.R. Gaviappa
Sandur (ST): Congress, E. Tukaram
Siraguppa (ST): BJP, M.S. Somalingappa
Bellary city: BJP, G. Somashekara Reddy
Kampli (ST): BJP, T.H. Suresh Babu
Kudligi (ST): BJP, B. Nagendra***
DAVANAGERE: Congress 3, BJP 5
Jagalur (ST): BJP, H.P. Rajesh
Harapanahalli: BJP, G. Karunakara Reddy
Honnali: BJP, M.P. Renukacharya
Davangere North: BJP, H.A. Ravindranath
Davangere South: Congress, Shamanur Shivashankarappa
Mayakonda (SC): BJP, Basava Raja Naik
Harihar: Congress, Dr. Y. Nagappa
Chennagiri: Congress, Vadnal Rajanna***
SHIMOGA: Congress 3, BJP 3, JD(S) 1
Shimoga rural (SC): Congress, Kariyanna
Shimoga: BJP, K.S. Eswarappa
Bhadravathi: JDS, Appaji M.J.
Soraba: Congress, Kumar Bangarappa
Tirthahalli: BJP , Araga Gnanedra
Shikaripura : BJP, B.S. Yediyurappa
Sagar: Congress, Kagodu Thimmappa***
CHIKMAGALUR: BJP 4, JDS 1
Sringeri: BJP, D.N. Jeevaraj
Moodigere (SC): BJP, M.P. Kumaraswamy
Chikmagalur : BJP , C.T. Ravi
Tarikere: JDS, H. Omkarappa
Kadur: BJP, Dr. Vishwanath***
UTTARA KANNADA: Congress 3; BJP 3
Haliyal: Congress, R.V. Deshpande
Kumta: BJP, Sashibhooshan Hegde
Karwar: Congress, Anand Asnotikar
Bhatkal: Congress, J.D. Naik
Sirsi: BJP, Vishweshwara Hegde
Yellapur: BJP, Veerabhadra Gowda Patil***
DAKSHINA KANNADA: BJP 4, Congress 3, JDS 1
Belthangady: Congress, Vasanth Bangera
Moodabidiri : JDS, K. Amaranatha Shetty
Mangalore City North: BJP , Krishna Palemar
Mangalore City South: BJP, N. Yogeesh Bhat
Mangalore: Congress, U.T. Khader
Bantwal: BJP, Nagaraja Shetty
Puttur: Congress, Bondala Jaganatha Shetty
Sullia (SC): BJP , S. Angara***
UDUPI: Congress 2, BJP 3
Baindur: BJP, K. Lakshminarayana
Kundapura: Congress, K. Jayaprakash Hegde
Udupi: BJP, Raghupathi Bhat
Kapu: Congress, Vasanth Saliyan
Karkala: BJP, V. Sunil Kumar***
RAICHUR: Congress 3, BJP 1, JDS 3
Raichur rural (ST): JDS, Raja Rangappa Naik
Raichur: BJP, A. Papa Reddy
Manvi: Congress (ST), G. Hampaiah
Devdurga (ST): JDS, Shivana Gowda
Maski (ST): Congress, Timappa
Lingasagur (SC): JDS, T.L. Naik
Sindhanur: Congress, Hampanagouda Badarli***
KOPPAL: Congress 2, BJP 2, JDS 1
Kushtagi: Congress, Amaregouda Byappur
Gangavati: JDS, Iqbal Ansari
Yelaburga: Congress, Basavaraj Rayareddy
Kanakagiri (SC): BJP, Shamanna Hulagappa Narinala
Koppal: BJP, Andanappa Agadi
***
METHODOLOGY: How did we crunch these numbers?
1. We went to at least one constituency in six of the 10 districts.
2. We studied the voting pattern of each constituency since 1978 using Election Commission data.
3. In the case of constituencies that have been newly created or spiked due to delimitation of seats, we have examined the chunks that have moved or have been clubbed together.
4. We have looked at each contesting candidate and have drawn a winnability graph keeping local factors in mind. Aspects like personal charisma, nurturing constituency with development projects, and also party-hopping have been factored in.
5. We have cross-checked our lists with strategists of all major political parties. We have discounted their claims when they have been bombastic and accommodated them when they have been realistic.
6. We have studied the percentage of votes polled by each party and the victory margins of all seats in the 2004 election. We have given the benefit of doubt to the runner up in 2004 elections if he has lost by a thin margin and is contesting again. In some cases it is the runner up political party that gets this advantage although they have changed the candidate.
7. Due to the strict EC poll code we have given very little chance to new faces and parties entering a constituency for the first time. We believe that the process of new faces or new parties getting registered in the minds of voters has not happened.
8. We have checked the BSP factor by looking at their presence and performance in all constituencies in the 2004 elections.
9. Although there is a close contest in some constituencies we stick our head out and give only name per constituency.
Also read: CHURUMURI POLL: Congress 41, BJP 21, JDS 21
Tough for CT Ravi at Chickmagalore. Possibility of CT Ravi winning is less.
LikeLike
M.P. Prakash had said that he will take political sanyas and will not stand for any elections. Don’t know what happened to that!
LikeLike
Very unfortunate that the Mining lobby (Reddy and cheddi) are winning again.
Hopefully Anti-BJP Govt will be formed , and these guys can be kept under control.
Kumarswamy is the only light i see to control these Reddys.
LikeLike
Vartur prakash will win from Kolar, the guy has lots of money
LikeLike
congress and JDS will form govt…… drum singh or Kharge will be CM….. Krishna will be made governor of gujarat…..revenna will be deputy CM. god save karnataka, god save India
LikeLike
Even without the pre-poll and post-poll ‘sachet’, this election induced intoxication and euphoria about ‘our next government’ is very interesting. And the innumerable ‘prediction exercises’ keeps that ‘high’ going at least until the counting day, mostly for the ‘trusted lieutenants’, ‘goons’ and ‘henchmen’.
For the rest it is back to the rigmarole of daily life and a long wait for the next offerings of sachet, saris, notes and promises from the parties.
‘Long live the elections, long live the predictions’
LikeLike
Other than blaming Congress for everything ,BJP didn’t do any thing good….Even though BJP was in power for 7 years they didn’t do anything for Kashmiri Pundits….Also the state government has some responsbility to maintain the law and order situation in the state….I was surprised by the BJP campaign asking votes on basis of the Jaipur blasts….
LikeLike
My estimate is :
Congress 23 ; BJP 38 ; Janata Dal 5
If Churmuri had predicted 67 at half way mark for Congress and 52 for BJP in April ,all of us would have accepted it at face value for obvious reasons.This estimate of 67 is a CRUEL joke.
LikeLike
Why don’t we kick out this the North Indian cow-belt party and form two coalition groups in headed by JDS and Congress here?
LikeLike
Need of the hour is regional Party for Karnataka. If a regional party can send 20 MP’s Karnataka will have a greater say in National politics and protect states interest at the center. So if we vote for BJP or Congress our MP’s will be 10-20 among 200 or 300 and the party can take them for granted.
LikeLike
Vote for Vatal Nagraj if you think need of the hour is a regional party
LikeLike
a great scientific based survey. i think you are very correct.
LikeLike
North Indian cow-belt party is at least Indian, and better than the Briton-formed, Italian-run videshi party.
LikeLike
So what are congress and JDS are they homegrown parties…nope they too are the so called cow belt north indian parties…so it is a choice between devil and deep sea
:)
LikeLike
Congress, according to a report in Hindu, is facing rebellion in all districts of Chitradurga. Some Kannada dailies have also used the word ‘wave’ for BJP in Chitradurga district. Yet, strangely, churumuri poll has given zero seats to BJP in Chitradurga. Really strange.
If you are someone who is following the karnataka elections keenly, you will find the word ‘wave’ is always associated with BJP. Yediyurrappa wave, sympathy wave (last time it was Vajpayee wave – which helped BJP win 18 out of 28 Lokh Sabha seats). Not a single reporter from any of the dozen odd publications has said there is a congress wave in any place. BJP wave, yes many reporters have used.
Churumuri poll is quite in contrast to these on the ground reports. Yet strangely, churumuri claims its poll is based on ground facts.
LikeLike
I guess there is minor error in mentioning the halfway mark as 114 rather than 112 and for absolute majority i guess it is 113.
Also, there is a small mistake in the published calculation based on Suvarna News exit poll.
According to the Suvarna News after the first two phases, congress on higher side is estimated to get 67 and BJP on the higher side is estimated to win in 66 seats.
In the calculation published for the third phase, Congress needs to win 47 of the remaining seats (mentioned correctly assuming 114 is for absolute majority) whereas for BJP it is mentioned as 44 whereas it should be 48.
LikeLike
Deccan Herald today says its going to be tough for Mallikarjun Kharge in Chittapur. He is apparently battling a saffron wave, as headlined in the article on page5.
One common thread running through all reports of the dozen odd english and kannada publications is the fact that there is a saffron wave in karnataka. I have never come across a single reporter saying that there is a JDS wave or a congress wave. This on the ground reporting is substantiated by NDTVs exit poll of second phase where congress is expected to get a low of 15 seats while BJP a high of 42.
Churumuri, I am afraid is way off the mark.
LikeLike
Looking forward to the Churumuri poll for the third phase.
LikeLike
Churmuri poll result has something for one who just want to experiment something psephologist do, but to give strong, stable govt people voted BJP. On the otherhand to give chance to alternative
LikeLike
Hello Guys,
now election is over, if we compare the about analysis we can say easily its dabba, evan a uneducated person also wont give this type of answer & M P Prakash had promised he wont contest election but he contested & with a highest margin of votes (i.e 28,000 votes) he lost. One more thing is Huvina Hadagali is his sinning place, he did everything what he wanted & he gave ticket to his short term political friend & that fellow also lost. there were only 2 parties in Hadagali earlier i.e Congress & JDS, he thought his short term political friend will win the constituency bcz there were no single person to represent BJP but people from Hadagali gave a great surprise to Mr.MP Prakash (Gomukha Vyghra-Sinner in Holy land).
LikeLike