With definitive results still pouring in, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has conceded in Karnataka, where a high-octane election is nearing its conclusion with a clear mandate in favour of the Congress. Congratulating the Congress on its victory, PM Narendra Modi said the BJP will serve Karnataka “with even more vigour in the times to come”.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters that the party ‘failed to make the (majority) mark’ and will ‘analyse this result’ to check for gaps in the BJP’s otherwise invincible election machinery. During a brief interaction with reporters, Bommai’s successor Yediyurappa said the cycle of ‘victory and defeat’ is not new to the BJP and that the party will introspect and cooperate with the Congress for the development in the state.
The stakes were higher for the BJP, as was evident by the blitzkrieg campaign it unleashed in Karnataka with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm.
Kharge, while hailing the verdict as a “victory” for the people of Karnataka, also said that the Congress will try to replicate this performance in other states where assembly elections are to be held later this year. Rahul Gandhi said the Congress will deliver on the ‘five promises’ it made to the people in the first cabinet meeting after assuming power.
Siddaramaiah, while hailing the outcome as a “mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda”, said the verdict will serve as a “stepping stone” for the general election next year. State Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar, who broke down while interacting with reporters, said he had “assured” the party high command that he would “deliver” the state.
The Congress, buoyed by its ‘five promises’ and ‘Trouble Engine Sarkara’ campaigns, was looking to reclaim the power it lost when its coalition government with the JD(S) was ‘toppled’ in 2019.
Also Read: In Karnataka, it’s a battle of Congress’s perception management versus BJP’s micro-management
Karnataka election results 2023 highlights:
09:45 pm: Updates to this live blog have ended.
09:30 pm: The ECI has put the final tally of the Congress at 135 seats, followed by the BJP at 65, and the JD(S) at 19. Independent candidates have emerged victorious on two seats, Congress ally Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha on one and the Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha on one. The result for Jayanagar is yet to be declared.
09:05 pm: The ECI has declared Arabhavi in favour of BJP’s Balachandra Jarkiholi, and Sindhanur in favour of Hampanagouda Badrali of the Congress.
08:30 pm: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was among BJP’s 40 star campaigners in Karnataka, reacted to the verdict by saying that the outcome would have little impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “Before every Lok Sabha election, Congress won the Assembly election in Karnataka. I think you can see it as a trend. Congress won Assembly elections in 2014 and PM Modi won in Parliament,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
08:15 pm: BJP’s Balachandra Jarkiholi is leading in Arabhavi, ahead of Independent Bhimappa Gundappa Gadad by a margin of over 57,000 votes. In Jayanagar, C.K. Ramamurty of the BJP is trailing Sowmya Reddy of the Congress by 294 votes. And in Sindhanur, Congress’s Hampanagouda Badrali is leading, with K. Kariyappa of the BJP behind by 21,942 votes.
08:00 pm: With counting of votes still underway in Jayanagar, Arabhavi and Sindhanur seats, Congress party’s tally stands at 134, with the BJP a distant second at 64 and the JD(S) at 19.
7:45 pm: BJP national president J.P. Nadda took to Twitter Saturday to say that the BJP “accepts the mandate of the people of Karnataka with humility”.
He thanked party workers in the state for their efforts and added that the BJP, under the leadership of PM Modi, will “continue to work for the betterment of the people and raise their voice by actively playing the role of constructive opposition”
07:30 pm: Reacting to the verdict in Karnataka, Union Home minister Amit Shah expressed his gratitude for the people of Karnataka for giving the BJP “opportunity to serve them for so many years”. The BJP, he added, will “continue to strive for the welfare and development” of the people of the state under the leadership of PM Modi.
Also Read: Karnataka polls: Muslims abandon SDPI and Owaisi’s AIMIM to consolidate behind Congress
07:15 pm: Congress leaders put up a united front Saturday, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah sharing a state during a press conference in Bengaluru.
Speaking at the press conference, Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Karnataka has “given a new mantra to save democracy”. “The PM said Congress-mukt Bharat but the people of Karnataka ensured a BJP-mukt South India,” he added.
“Ego doesn’t stay for long. It’s a democracy and we will have to listen to the people and bow our heads before them for them to show us the right path,” said party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Also Read: 12 of 26 ministers in Bommai-led BJP govt lose their seats in Karnataka polls
07:00 pm: BJP’s Munirathna — state minister for horticulture, planning, programme monitoring & statistics — has defeated Kusuma of the Congress to win from Rajarajeshwarinagar by a margin of 11,842. In Sarvagnanagar, veteran Congress leader and former state home minister K.J. George defeated BJP’s Padmanabha Reddy by a margin of 55,768 votes.
In Tirthahalli, BJP’s Araga Jnanendra, state minister for home affairs, defeated Kimmane Ratnakar of the Congress by a margin of 12,241 votes. Meanwhile, Congress leader and former forest and environment minister Satish Jarkiholi defeated BJP’s Basavaraj Hundri by a margin of 57,211 votes.
6:45 pm: Stating the outcome of the Karnataka assembly polls is proof that “politics of diversion will not work anymore”. Voters, she added, want development and that their issues are discussed.
Also Read: Congress breaches BJP’s Lingayat base in Kittur Karnataka, tally goes up from 17 to 33
6:30 pm: In Koratagere, former deputy chief minister G. Parameshwara of the Congress has defeated P. R Sudhakar Lal of the JD(S) by a margin of 14,347 votes. BJP’s Ashwath Narayan C.N., minister for higher education, defeated Anoop Iyengar of the Congress by a margin of 41,302 in Malleshwaram. And in Narasimharaja, Tanveer Sait, former minister of state for primary and secondary education in the state government, emerged victorious against the BJP’s S. Satheesh Sandesh Swamy with a margin of 31,120 votes.
Ashwathnarayan told news agency ANI, “This is a setback for us (BJP) in Karnataka. We accept the verdict of the people. We will work much more and seek the blessing of the people and come out with flying colours. When it comes to 2024 elections, we want to ensure that our candidates win from all 28 seats…”
6:15 pm: Congratulating the Congress for its “spectacular win”, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin said Saturday that voters in Karnataka upheld “Kannadiga Pride by teaching a befitting lesson to BJP for its vindictive politics”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, too, hailed the verdict and predicted that the BJP will lose assembly polls to be held in MP and Chhattisgarh later this year. “This is the beginning of the end of 2024…Now, I don’t think they (BJP) will cross even 100..,” she said..
NCP chief Sharad Pawar termed the outcome as a “strong verdict” and said it “presents a picture” of what could happen in the general election next year.
06:00 pm: BJP Karnataka vice president B.Y. Vijayendra has won from his father B.S. Yediyurappa’s seat, Shikaripura, defeating Independent S.P. Nagarajagowda by a margin of 11,008 votes.
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5:45 pm: CM Bommai, who retained the Shiggaon seat by defeating Pathan Yasirahmedkhan of the Congress by a margin of 35,978 votes, told news agency ANI that he takes “responsibility for this debacle”. “There are multiple reasons for this. We will find out all the reasons and strengthen the party once again for parliamentary elections,” he added.
5:30 pm: PM Narendra Modi has congratulated the Congress party for its win in Karnataka. “Congratulations to the Congress Party for their victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls. My best wishes to them in fulfilling people’s aspirations,” he said in a tweet Saturday.
“I thank all those who have supported us in the Karnataka elections. I appreciate the hardwork of BJP Karyakartas. We shall serve Karnataka with even more vigour in the times to come,” the PM said in a separate tweet. With 121 seats already under its belt at 5.30 pm, the Congress party is in a position to form a government on its own.
5:15 pm: H. D. Revanna of the JD(S), former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s elder son, has defeated Congress’s Shreyas M Patel. by a margin of 3,152 votes in Holenarasipur. Ajay Singh, Deputy Leader of the opposition in Karnataka assembly, defeated Doddappagouda of the JD(S) by a margin of 10,278 votes in Jewargi constituency. And in Kalghatgi, Congress’s Santosh. S. Lad, former minister for information and infrastructure, has defeated BJP’s Chabbi Nagaraj, who lost by a margin of 14,357 votes.
Also Read: Bengaluru defies Congress wave, Modi appeal helps BJP improve tally to 15 seats
5:00 pm: Hailing the verdict in Karnataka as a “clear message” that the “type of divisive politics the BJP does, will not be successful every time”, Congress general secretary (organization) K.C. Venugopal said Saturday that the party “stood for the poor” in Karnataka. “They (BJP) stood for the rich. Finally, the poor won this election. This is the clear narrative of this election,” he added.
Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, told reporters, “PM Modi thinks that by seeing his face, voters will vote (for) BJP party, this has been proved wrong.”
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, meanwhile, termed the party’s win in Karnataka as “PM Modi’s decisive defeat”.
Also Read: Himanta held rallies in 11 seats & BJP won 5 — how party’s star campaigners fared in Karnataka
04:45 pm: K.H. Muniyappa of the Congress, former Union Minister of MSMEs, defeated Nisarga Narayanaswamy of the JD(S) in Devanahalli by a margin of 4,631 votes. And in Gadag, H.K. Patil, minister for rural development and panchayati raj in the Siddaramaiah government, defeated BJP’s Anil P. Menasinakai by a margin of 15,130 votes.
Mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy, former MLC and founder of the Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha, has won in Gangawati. He defeated Iqbal Ansari of the Congress by a margin of 8,266 votes. BJP’s Ramesh Jarkiholi, former state minister of water resources, has defeated Kadadi Mahantesh Kallappa of he Congress in Golak by a margin of 25,412 votes.
04:30 pm: In Bijapur City, Basanagouda R. Patil of the BJP — a staunch critic of Yediyurappa — defeated Abdul Hameed Khajasab Musharif of the Congress by a margin of 8,233 votes. In Chikkaballapur, BJP’s Dr K. Sudhakar, minister of medical education and health, has lost to Pradeep Eshwar of the Congress by a margin of 10,642 votes.
Also Read: How Karnataka loss could set back BJP’s ‘southern push’ for 2024 Lok Sabha polls
04:15 pm: Senior Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao, AICC in charge of Goa, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, has won from Gandhi Nagar. He defeated BJP’s Sapthagiri Gowda by 105 votes. “Infinite thanks to the voters for exercising their right and voting in the assembly election,” Rao said in a statement posted on Twitter.
04:00 pm: BJP’s national general secretary C.T. Ravi, a four-time legislator from Chikmagalur, has conceded to H.D. Thammaiah of the Congress. “I accept my loss in the assembly elections. I wholeheartedly thank @BJP4Chikmagalur Karyakartas and the people of Chikkamagaluru for their support to me all these years. I congratulate all the winning candidates and wish them the very best in the coming days,” he wrote in a tweet.
03:45 pm: BJP’s B. Sreeramulu, minister of transport department and tribal welfare has been defeated by B. Nagendra of the Congress in Bellary by a margin of 29,300 votes. And in Bellary City, Gali Lakshmi Aruna — wife of mining baron Gali Janardana Reddy, who floated a new party, the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP), in the run-up to the polls — lost to Nara Bharath Reddy of the Congress by a margin of 34,573 votes.
Also Read: ‘Corruption’ tag, weak leadership, quota misfire — 5 reasons BJP lost South foothold Karnataka
03:30 pm: Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar has been handed over the winning certificate by the polling officer in Kanakapura seat in Ramanagara district. Shivakumar defeated B. Nagaraju of the JD(S) by an impressive margin of over 1.15 lakh votes.
As he rode towards the counting centre in Ramanagara in an SUV, Shivakumar was greeted by a massive crowd of Congress workers.
03:15 pm: Ramalinga Reddy, working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, has defeated K.R. Sridhara of the BJP by a margin of 9,222 votes in B.T.M Layout. Whereas in Babaleshwar, M B Patil, ex-home minister of Karnataka in the Siddaramaiah government, has defeated Vijayakumar (Vijaygouda) Patil of the BJP by a margin of 14,810 votes.
Also Read: Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik loses in Karnataka’s Karkal. Incumbent BJP MLA emerges winner
03:00 pm: Congress candidates have won in 50 seats and are leading on another 87, according to the ECI. On the other hand, 21 seats have been called in favour of the BJP and its candidates are leading on another 21. The JD(S) has won in nine seats and is leading in another 11. The EC has pegged the Congress party’s vote share at 43.2 per cent for now, the BJP’s at 35.6 per cent and that of the JD(S) at 13.3 per cent.
2:45 pm: Rahul Gandhi Saturday thanked voters and Congress workers in Karnataka for the party’s performance in the assembly polls. Stating that Congress “stood with the issues of the poor and fought on the issues of the poor,” Gandhi said that the verdict is an endorsement of the party’s positive campaign and a rejection of polarisation.
“We did not fight with hatred, we fought with love; the people favoured love. “Karnataka mein nafrat ki bazaar band hui hai, mohabbat ki dukaan khuli hai (The market of hatred has been shut down and a shop of love has opened in Karnataka),” he said.
2:30 pm: “We have won, now we have to work,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters Saturday after voters in Karnataka gave the party a clear edge in the state. He added that credit for this victory goes to party workers and senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Kharge, while hailing the verdict as a “victory” for the people of Karnataka, also said that the Congress will try to replicate this performance in other states where assembly elections are to be held later this year.
Also Read: Congress’ Shivakumar romps home by 1 lakh plus margin in Kanakapura, Siddaramaiah wins Varuna
02:15 pm: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son Priyank Kharge has defeated Manikanta Rathod of the BJP by a margin of over 13,000 votes to retain his seat of Chittapur. In Chamarajanagar, minister V. Somanna lost to C. Puttarangashetty of the Congress by a margin of 7,533 votes. Former IPS officer and Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao, who contested from Chamrajpet on a BJP ticket, has lost to B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan of the Congress by a margin of 53,953 votes. Meanwhile, BJP’s Yashpal Suvarna — who had reportedly referred to Hijab-wearing students as “terrorists” — has defeated Prasadraj Kanchan of the Congress by a margin of 32,776 votes.
2:00 pm: Reacting to the outcome of the Karnataka assembly election, former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa told the media Saturday that he “respectfully accepts this verdict”.
Asked what may have led to the BJP’s rout in Karnataka, he added that it was too early to comment. Yediyurappa, who served as the BJP’s chief minister in the state from July 2019 till July 2021, said victory and defeat are not new to the BJP, which had only two MPs in the Lok Sabha in 1984. “We have lost the election; will retrospect and will give cooperation for the development of the state,” he added.
01:45 pm: Reacting to the verdict in Karnataka, Congress leader Alka Lamba told ThePrint, “This is a message for the Prime Minister that you cannot do politics on communalism and division in every election. The people of this country want to talk on issues. They want politics that talks of issues. That’s what the Congress has done this time.”
“This is a win for party workers. The way the central leadership, led by Randeep Singh Surjewala, ensured coordination between the state and central leadership, is something that we’ve learnt from the last election,” she added.
01:30 pm: Asked who will be the Congress party’s chief minister in Karnataka, former CM Siddaramaiah told reporters Saturday the elected MLAs will take that call. He also said that the people of Karnataka wanted a change and that there was strong anti-incumbency against the BJP government in Karnataka.
“It is a mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda,” he said.
Hailing the outcome as a massive shot in the arm for the Congress, Siddaramaiah also made a pitch for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and said that the verdict in Karnataka will serve as a stepping stone for the general election next year. “I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that BJP is defeated and I also hope Rahul Gandhi may become PM of the country,” he said.
Also Read: While BJP & Congress clash over Bajrang Dal, all Bengaluru voters really want is employment, loans
01:15 pm: With the BJP having conceded in Karnataka, a teary-eyed D.K. Shivakumar told reporters Saturday, “The party cadres, supported by all my leaders have worked hard. People have reposed faith in us. The leaders have supported us. It is collective leadership and we have jointly won.
“I’ve said it in the beginning, joining together is the beginning, thinking together is progress, working together is progress. I assured Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Mr Rahul Gandhi, Mrs Priyanka Gandhi and Mr Mallikarjun Kharge that I will deliver Karnataka.”
The Karnataka Congress chief added that he can “never forget” Sonia Gandhi visiting him in jail when ‘BJP people put him in jail’.
“I rather chose to be in jail than to occupy an office. That is the confidence that the Gandhi family and the Congress party and the entire country bestowed on me. I thank all my leaders in the state, including Mr Siddaramaiah, all the MLA, and all the leaders from the block level who took responsibility.”
01:00 pm: ECI trends have declared three seats in favour of the Congress, with the party leading on 129 seats. Candidates fielded by the BJP have won in one seat and are leading on 65 seats. The JD(S) is ahead in 22 seats.
12:45 pm: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has conceded on behalf of the BJP. “We’ve not been able to make the mark. Once the results come we will do a detailed analysis. As a national party, we will not only analyse but also see what deficiencies and gaps were left at various levels. We take this result in our stride,” he told reporters Saturday.
Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the party “respects and accepts” the verdict of the people of Karnataka. “We will contribute to our state and our people as a constructive Opposition,” he added.
“Karnataka results are disappointing for BJP, but it reflects that regionalism prevails over nationalism. Regional politics of caste, regional aspiration prevail, but it will not impact other states as our track record is unmatched. The prime minister’s popularity is continuously rising,” former Union minister and BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told ThePrint.
12:30 pm: Reacting to early trends putting Congress ahead of the majority mark in Karnataka, Pawan Khera, chairman of the party’s media wing, told ThePrint Saturday that the “people (of Karnataka) have rejected the divisive politics of Mr. Narendra Modi personally because this election was all about him”.
“Every single household of Karnataka is talking of the Congress’s five guarantees. Ours was a very positive campaign and people approved of that campaign. You cannot equate Lord Hanuman with Bajrang Dal. That was the ultimate insult to Lord Bajrang Bali,” said Khera.
Party workers also gathered at the All India Congress (AICC) HQ at 24, Akbar Road in New Delhi where they celebrated the party’s lead in Karnataka. The BJP had, in the run-up to the polls, attacked the Congress for promising a ban on the Bajrang Dal in its manifesto for Karnataka.
12:15: With ECI trends putting Congress comfortably ahead of the incumbent BJP, state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar took to Twitter to share a picture of himself with Congress candidates.
12:00 pm: According to initial trends by the ECI, the Congress is ahead in 118 of 224 seats. This spells trouble for the incumbent BJP, which is looking to retain power in Karnataka, where it emerged as single largest party in 2018.
Also Read: How Congress is betting on Kharge and ‘divide & rule’ strategy to corner SC votes in Karnataka
11:45 am: Celebrations have already broken out at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) headquarters in Bengaluru in light of early trends by the ECI giving the party a lead in 117 seats — four more than the majority mark of 113.
11:30 am: ECI, which is now giving trends on all 224 seats, puts Congress ahead on 117, BJP on 75 and JD(S) on 25 seats. CNN-News18 puts Congress ahead on 119 seats, BJP on 72 and the JD(S) on 26 seats.
11:15 am: Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil is trailing in Ramanagaram by 14,000 votes. JD(S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy had won the seat in 2018 by defeating Iqbal Hussain of the Congress by a margin of 22,636 votes.
11:00 am: State minister V. Somanna of the BJP is trailing in both Chamarajanagar and Varuna seats. In Varuna, the minister for housing and infrastructure development was pitted against former chief minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress.
Also Read: BJP & JD(S) edge out Congress in direct fights — analysing strike rates in Karnataka polls
10:45 am: BJP’s B.Y. Vijayendra, the son of former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa — seen as the tallest leader of the Lingayat community in Karnataka — is leading from Shikaripura, the seat his father won eight times since 1983. Trailing Vijayendra is Independent S.P. Nagaraj Gowda.
10:30 am: Early trends by the ECI show the Congress ahead in 115 seats, the BJP in 73 and the JD(S) in 29 seats. CNN-News18 has the Congress leading on 109 seats, the BJP on 80 and the JD(S) on 28 seats.
10:15 am: Karnataka Congress chief D.K Shivakumar is leading in Kanakapura, nearly 8,000 votes ahead of R. Ashoka of the JD(S). In Athani, Laxman Savadi — who parted ways with the BJP and joined the Congress after he was denied a ticket — is leading with a comfortable margin of over 17,000 votes.
Bharath Reddy of the Congress is leading in Bellari City, nearly 3,000 votes ahead of Gali Lakshmi Aruna — wife of mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy who floated a new party, the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP), in the run-up to the polls. Reddy is leading in Gangawati seat in Koppal district, ahead of Iqbal Ansari of the Congress by 2,000 votes.
In Bellari Rural, minister B. Sriramulu of the BJP is trailing Congress’s B. Nagendra by nearly 9,000 votes.
09:30 am: Early ECI trends show the Congress leading in 82 seats, the BJP in 52 seats and the JD(S) in 16 seats. CNN-News18, meanwhile, has the Congress leading in 107 seats, the BJP in 83 seats and the JD(S) in 30 seats.
Polling in the state was held in a single phase on 10 May, amounting to a record voter turnout of 73.19 per cent — the highest since the state was carved out of Mysore State in 1957.
ಕೋಲಾರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ ಎಣಿಕೆ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭ ಮಾಡಲು ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ ಸಮ್ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಟ್ರಾಂಗ್ ರೂಮ್ ನ್ನು ತೆರೆಯಲಾಯಿತು@SpokespersonECI @ECISVEEP #karnatakaelections2023 #karnatakaassemblyelection2023 #karnatakaelectionresults2023 #electionresults2023 #ecisveep #ceokarnataka #votecounting pic.twitter.com/66vHrumYdp
— Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka (@ceo_karnataka) May 13, 2023
09:15 am: Initial trends show at least eight ministers of the Bommai government trailing. Jagadish Shettar, the Lingayat leader who joined the Congress after he was denied a ticket by the BJP, is trailing in the Hubli-Dharwad-Central seat where he had been pitted against Mahesh Tenginakai of the BJP.
09:00 am: Early trends, according to the ECI, hint at Congress leading on six seats and the BJP on five.
Also Read: Eight CMs since 2008, but 25% of Karnataka’s seats have stuck to the same party since 2008
08:30 am: Speaking to the media in Hubbali, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he was confident that the BJP will emerge with an “absolute majority” to give the people of the state a “stable government”.
“I thank the people of Karnataka for voting peacefully and I appeal to all political parties to let counting be peaceful and let counting take its own stride,” he added.
Bommai was also seen offering prayers at a Hanuman temple.
08:00 am: The counting of votes has begun at 36 counting centres across Karnataka to decide the fate of 2,615 candidates in the fray.
Also Read: Astrologers predict me becoming CM in Karnataka, even BJP believes this: HD Kumaraswamy
07:30 am: “No one has contacted me till now. There is no demand for me,” JD(S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy told reporters before counting began Saturday. Asked if he was weighing his options, he quipped, “According to your exit poll, there is no need for any options.” He also said his is a “small party” and he is in no position to make any demands.
The Janata Dal (Secular), is looking to emerge as ‘kingmaker’ yet again, with gains from the Old Mysore region, where the party of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda has a strong presence.
07:00 am: On 10 May, voting was held at 58,282 polling stations across the state, which has 5.23 crore registered voters. The voter turnout, which was 72.36 per cent in the previous assembly elections, surged to 72.36 per cent this time.
A majority of the seats in the state have traditionally witnessed a bipolar contest between the two prominent national parties — the BJP and the Congress.
Of the 10 exit polls released on 10 May, three predicted that the Congress would cross the majority mark of 113, while two placed their bets on the BJP getting a majority on its own. The remaining five, while predicting that the state could be headed in the direction of a hung assembly, prophesied that Congress would emerge as the single largest party.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), of the 224 assembly constituencies in Karnataka, 36 are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 15 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Counting across 36 centres will decide the fate of 2,615 candidates in the fray.
Polling in the state was held in a single phase on 10 May, amounting to a record voter turnout of 73.19 per cent — the highest since the state was carved out of Mysore State in 1957.
The incumbent BJP’s bid to retain power rested on the planks of the ‘double engine’ government, Hindutva and support among Lingayats, who account for 17 per cent of the state’s population.
On the other side of this fight was the Congress. Its ‘five promises’ and eye-catching ‘PayCM’ and ‘Trouble Engine Sarkara’ campaigns generated a lot of buzz.
The third player with skin in the game is the JD(S).
In the previous assembly election in 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats (36 per cent vote), followed by the Congress with 78 (38 per cent vote) and the Janata Dal (Secular) with 37 seats (18 per cent vote).
