BANGALORE: The Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday expressed optimism about the BJP returning to power with an outright majority.

Bommai, who is running for re-election from the Shiggaon sector for a fourth straight term, told reporters after casting his ballot at a government school in the Haveri region that he will win by a record margin.

"And the BJP, which will prevail with a record number of seats, is as well. There will be a sizable comfortable majority,'' he said. I'll be able to respond to that question after May 13th, when the ballots are counted, he said.
After the elections, the legislature party and the BJP Parliamentary Board will face the subject of whether Bommai is confident in his ability to remain Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister claimed that by casting his ballot today, he had fulfilled his responsibility to uphold democracy and that it was an honour to vote in his home district.

Bommai urged with the peole, "Please vote for the success of democracy; vote for development of Karnataka." He asserted that the voters are always "positive-oriented" and support the party that promotes development, contrasting the Congress' "negative and sinister campaign" with the BJP's development goal.

The voting in Karnataka started at 7 am and will last until 6 pm. On May 13, the results will be made public.

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