Data | BJP had the edge in the recent bipolar contests in Karnataka

In the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections, 77% of the seats witnessed bipolar contests, which meant that only two parties were effectively fighting the election in those constituencies. This marked a shift from the 2013 and 2008 elections when less than 50% of the seats witnessed a bipolar contest. Moreover, multi-cornered fights involving more than three parties have become a rarity.

Table 1