No faith in exit polls, Congress will cross double digits in K'taka: Shivakumar

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said he has no faith in exit polls and predicted that the Congress will cross double digits in the state in the Lok Sabha elections, but refrained from giving any figures.

The party leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President had been claiming that the party will win 15-20 out of 28 seats in the state.

"I have said that I have no faith in the exit polls. Today also, I'm saying the same thing. Someone called me just now saying that they (channels) are showing that we will get only two or three or four seats in Karnataka. We will get more than double digit, wait and see," Shivakumar told reporters here.

He said, "I have no faith in exit polls and their assessment, as they don't go interior. They would have done it based on some sample size, I don't believe in it. The INDIA bloc is ready to take over the mantles." Early exit polls predicted a comfortable majority for the BJP-led NDA.

Campaigning ends for six Karnataka legislative council seats, polling on June 3

Campaigning for the elections to the six Karnataka legislative council seats comprising three each of graduates and teachers' constituencies ended on Saturday. T

he polling will be held on June 3. The counting of votes will take place on June 6. The polls will be held for the constituencies of Karnataka North East Graduates, Karnataka South West Graduates, Bangalore Graduates, Karnataka South-East Teachers, Karnataka South-West Teachers and Karnataka South Teachers.

These seats fell vacant following the retirement of the six sitting members. The graduates constituencies and teachers constituencies have 3.63 lakh and 70,260 voters respectively. The Election Commission has set up 170 and 461 polling stations for Teachers and Graduates Constituencies respectively.

The Cong ress has fielded Marithibba Gowda (South Teachers Constituency), KK Manjunath (South-West Teachers), Ayanur Manjunath (South-West Graduates), Chandrashekhar Patil (North-East Graduates), Ramoji Gowda (Bangalore Graduates) and DT Srinivas (South-East Teachers). The BJP and its ally JD(S) are contesting the MLC elections together. BJP is fighting at four places and the JD(S) in two places.