Shikaripura: The BJP on Tuesday said unlike the 2004 Assembly elections when a fractured verdict led to political instability in Karnataka, the state this time is heading for a decisive mandate and expressed confidence of winning an absolute majority in the 224-member House.
BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yediyurappa said his party would get a "minimum" of 40 of the 89 seats that went to polls in the first phase on May 10.
"First round was difficult for us as you know it's (old Mysore region) the stronghold of JD(S) and Congress. But the second and third phase (in which elections are to be held for the remaining 135 seats on May 16 and 22) is very easy for us because we are strong compared to other parties," he said at Shikaripura in the midst of campaigning for the second phase polls.
He also said the JD(S), headed by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, would not win enough seats this time to play the role of 'king maker' as it did after the 2004 polls, taking advantage of the fractured verdict.
JD(S) first formed a coalition government headed by the Congress and later Gowda's son HD Kumaraswamy become the chief minister heading a JD(S)-BJP ministry under a power sharing accord with the saffron party.
He said JD(S) would not win more than 30-35 seats in the entire state. In the 2004 elections, while the BJP emerged the single largest party with a tally of 79 seats, the Congress won 65 and the JD(S) 58.
Stating that he had toured 150-160 constituencies, Yediyurappa said: "We are going to get absolute majority. This is a golden opportunity for serving the people of Karnataka."
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