Congress Gains Clear Edge in India Today Axis My India Exit Polls, forecasts magic figures
Bengaluru: Following the conclusion of voting in the highly anticipated Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, all attention was focused on the release of exit poll predictions after 6 pm. While the final outcome will be declared on May 13 during the vote counting process, the exit polls offered insights into the decisions made by the people of Karnataka for the next five years.
Meanwhile, the India Today-Axis My India exit poll signaled a comfortable victory for the Congress, projecting the party to secure 122-140 seats and a 43 percent vote share. This would surpass the halfway mark of 113 seats. For the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party, the exit poll predicts 62-80 seats and a vote share of 35 percent. The JD(S) is expected to win between 20-25 seats, with a vote share of 16 percent, and a 6 percent for others.
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According to the India Today-Axis My India exit poll, the Congress is projected to secure a significant victory in various regions. In the Bombay-Karnataka region, the Congress is expected to win 28 seats, while the BJP is predicted to secure 21 seats. The Congress is also anticipated to achieve a majority in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, securing 32 seats. In the Bangalore region, the Congress is likely to win 17 seats, whereas the BJP may secure 10 seats. In Central Karnataka, the Congress is predicted to win 12 seats, with the BJP expected to secure 10 seats. The India Today-Axis My India exit poll further indicates that the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to dominate coastal Karnataka, winning 16 out of 19 seats. Thus, the BJP is positioned to secure a majority in Coastal Karnataka, as per the India Today-Axis My India exit poll.
The state witnessed polling for 224 seats, with a voter turnout of over 65 percent recorded till 5 pm. The battle between the incumbent BJP, Congress, and JD(S) featured a total of 2,615 candidates. The election campaign concluded on Monday, May 8, with prominent campaigners such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah representing the BJP, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge advocating for the Congress, and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy addressing multiple rallies throughout the state.
“I play more than cricket here, I play chess” - DK Shivakumar
In an interview with India Today TV, Karnataka Congress supremo DK Shivakumar expressed his confidence in winning a majority in the polls and said “This is purely a local election and Modi’s name will not work here in Karnataka elections.” He emphatically stated that the Karnataka elections are solely focused on local issues and that the influence of Prime Minister Modi's name would not be effective in this context.
Shivakumar strongly criticized Modi's campaign in the state, questioning the need for such an extensive effort if the BJP was confident in their achievements and development agenda. He stressed that the people of Karnataka desire a corruption-free government and a globally recognized Karnataka, and that the Congress party is dedicated to fulfilling these aspirations.
During the interview, when asked about who the Congress's captain is, Rajdeep Sardesai, the consulting editor of the India Today Network, curiously drew a comparison to cricket and asked “ Do you watch cricket, RCB’s captain is faf-du-plesis, who is congress’s captain,” responding to which Shivakumar said “I play more than cricket here, I play chess.” Cleverly responding by saying that he engages in more than just cricket, referring to his strategic approach akin to playing chess.
Additionally, Shivakumar said that the congress is devoted to implement all its 5 guarantees vowed during the campaign and its poll manifesto.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
