This is my last election: Siddaramaiah

Speaking to reporters in Chamundeshwari constituency, one of the two seats from where he contested in the high-stakes polls, along with Badami in north Karnataka, the Congress leader said, "This will be my last election."

To a question on the possibility of a Dalit Chief Minister, he said, "It is fine if the party decides to have a Dalit chief minister."

Siddaramaiah exuded confidence that the Congress would get an absolute majority in Karnataka and ruled out any possibility of a tie-up with the JD(S), led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

Brushing aside the exit polls, most of which have predicted a fractured verdict with some pointing towards a possible defeat for the Congress, the chief minister tweeted, "Exit opinion polls are entertainment for the next 2 days. Relying on poll of polls is like a person who can't swim crossing a river on foot relying on a statistician who told him the average depth of the river is 4 feet. Please note average of 6+4+2 is 4. At 6 feet you drown (sic)."

"So, Dear party workers, supporters & well-wishers, don't worry about exit polls. Relax & enjoy your weekend. We are coming back (sic)," he said in another tweet.

Polling in the southern state was held yesterday and the results will be declared on Tuesday.

A 70-per cent voter turnout was recorded in the high-stakes election.