Karnataka Exit Poll Results 2018 updates: Exit polls divided over Congress, BJP; most predict hung Assembly

On a politically crucial Assembly election ahead of next year's Lok Sabha battle, millions voted in Karnataka with the ruling Congress as well as the BJP and JD-S claiming they will win hands down

Latest updates: On a politically crucial Assembly election ahead of next year's Lok Sabha battle, the ruling Congress, BJP and JD-S all claimed they would win.Here are the exit poll results at a glance:

	Congress	BJP	JD(S) +	Others
Times Now VMR	90-103	80-93	31-39	2-4
India Today Axis My India	106-118	79-92	22-30	1-4
Republic TV	73-82	95-114	32-43	3-4
Dighvijay News	76-80	103-107	31-35	4-8
NewsX-CNX	72-78	102-110	35-39	3-5
News Nation	71-75	105-109	36-40	3-5
ABP News Cvoter	87-99	97-109	21-30	1-8
Today's Chanakya	73	120	26	3
Poll of Polls NDTV	89	98	31	4

[caption id="attachment_4466991" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. PTI[/caption]While counting for the Karnataka Assembly election will take place on 15 May, a number of agencies and news outlets conducted exit to gauge the mood of the voters.  The exit polls were released after 6 pm on Saturday as voting ended. According to Indian Express, some of the popular exit polls are News24's Chanakya exit poll, India Today's India Today-Axis My India exit poll and the C-group exit poll.As the only Assembly poll being held in the peak summer, with temperatures soaring, the battle-royal at the hustings has the nation glued to the southern state where the stakes are high for both the national parties whose prospects the JD-S can make or mar as a kingmaker or spoiler in a fractured verdict.Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that he was "very confident" of the ruling Congress retaining power in the southern state by winning over 120 seats. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial face BS Yeddyurappa was among the first to vote in Shikaripura in Shivamogga district.Karnataka has over 5.06 crore voters, including 2.6 crore men and 2.5 crore women. A total of 15.42 lakh voters, aged 18 to 19, registered for the first time. "Voting has been peaceful by and large barring a few incidents of EVMs not functioning in some booths, missing voter names and procedural delays", an official told IANS.Polling was held in 58,008 stations in 30 districts across the state, with 600 of them dubbed 'pink booths', overseen by women personnel. Over 1.5 lakh security personnel were deployed.In all, 2,654 candidates are in the fray, including 219 women. A total of 222 are from the Congress and BJP each, 201 from JD-S, 1,155 Independents and 800 from other national, regional and fringe parties.Firstpost reviewed this story after reports emerged that the Suvarna news 24x7 exit poll was fake. We have deleted references to that poll.With inputs from agencies