Exit polls vote for BJP in Karnataka bypolls (Lead)

Bengaluru, Dec 6 (IANS) Local exit polls in Karnataka have predicted that the ruling BJP will win majority of the seats in Thursday's by-elections to 15 Assembly segments in the state.Power TV, a Kannada news channel, has estimated a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 seats for the BJP. For Congress, it predicted three to six wins in the bypolls and 0 to two seats for Janata Dal (Secular).Public TV, also a Kannada news channel, predicted 8 to 10 seats for the BJP, 1 to 2 seats for the JD(S) and 3 to 5 seats for the Congress.BTV, another vernacular news channel, estimated the BJP to win 9 to 11 seats, 0 to 2 seats for JD(S) and 2 to 4 seats for the Congress.The Hosakote seat is expected to see a close fight between the Congress and the BJP, according to Power TV and Public TV, whereas BTV predicted victory for an Independent candidate.In Bengaluru city, Power TV is expecting the Congress to win the Shivajinagar seat while BTV predicted the BJP to win it. Public TV predicted a close fight between the Congress and the BJP.According to CVoter, the BJP is expected to win 12 of the 15 seats contested on Thursday. It predicted the Congress to win only three seats and said the JD(S) may not win even a single seat.The ruling BJP, which has 105 members, including one Independent but excluding the Speaker, needs to win seven more seats to have a majority in the 225-member Assembly, whose current strength is 223.The Congress has 66 members, the JD-S 34 and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) one.Meanwhile, the state Chief Electoral Officer has informed the media that the revised voting percentage is 67.9 in the by-elections.Hosakote registered the highest voting percentage at 90.90 while K.R. Pura in Bengaluru east registered the lowest voting percentage at 46.7.On Thursday, by-elections were held in Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapura, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijaynagara, Chickballapura, K.R. Pura, Yeshwanthpura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagara, Hosakote, K.R. Pete and Hunsur.As many as 248 candidates, 234 males and 14 females, contested the by-elections to 15 constituencies.The counting of votes is scheduled for December 9.
--IANS sth/arm