Karnataka, which goes to polls mid-year, is the only hope for the Congress, which should not find it difficult to defeat a divided Bharatiya Janata Party led by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.
The exit from the BJP of former chief minister and strongman B.S. Yeddyurappa, who now heads his Karnataka Janata Party, is expected to further dent the party's vote share.
"People will appreciate the work done by the central government and the Congress governments in the five big states... we hope to form the governments there," Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi told IANS, adding: "We won in Himachal despite a negative campaign by the BJP".
