Bharatiya Janata Party emerged on top with 32-42 out of the 66 seats, which went to polls in the second phase of Karnataka assembly elections on Friday followed by Congress (15-20) and Janata Dal-Secular (8-12), according to an exit poll by NDTV news channel.
More: Battleground Karnataka
The BJP's vote share marked a three per cent swing in its favour, while Congress faced a loss of one per cent votes and JD-S two per cent, it said.
Others were expected to win around 2-4 seats, the exit poll said.
The saffron party had emerged winners also in the first phase of the poll held on May 10 when polling was held in 89 seats, according to the exit poll by the channel on that day.
After exit polls covering 155 seats (more than half of the total of 224), BJP has been projected to get 73 seats, Congress 45 and JD-S 42.
The third and final phase of polling will cover 69 seats.
A total of 66 Assembly constituencies in ten districts of Karnataka went to polls in the second phase of election, which decides the electoral fortunes of BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, former chief minister S Bangarappa and former deputy chief minister M P Prakash.
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