NEW DELHI: The counting of votes for the aggressively contested Karnataka elections is under way, three days after the voting concluded to elect the 224 members of the state assembly. Most pollsters have given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while also indicating the possibility of a hung assembly in the state. In the 2018 assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) with 37.
Here are the key highlights:
Here are the key highlights:
- We have not been able to make the mark in spite of a lot of effort by everyone, including PM Modi and party workers: CM Bommai on Karnataka results
- Five-time MLAs Mahadevappa (Narasipura) and Venkatesh (Periyapatna), who had lost in 2018, inching closer to victory
- Congress wins Challakere constituency, leads in 128 seats; BJP ahead in 67 seats and JD(S) leading in 22
- BJP’s Ramesh Jarkiholi is leading with 16,517 votes in Gokak constituency after 20th round of counting
- As the results firm up in Karnataka, it is now certain that the Congress has won and the PM has lost. The BJP had made its election campaign a referendum on the PM and on the state getting his ‘ashirwaad’. That has been decisively rejected! Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh
- In Mangalore constituency, Congress candidate UT Khader Fareed is leading after the 9th round of counting with over 51% votes
- Congress candidate Ashok Pattan leading with 9,462 votes in Ramdurg constituency after 14th round of counting
- Athani constituency: Laxman Savadi gets tremendous lead of 30,509 votes after 9th round of counting against his close rival BJP candidate Mahesh Kumathalli
- Independent candidate Nitin Guttedar leading with 2,865 votes against Congress candidate MY Patil from Afzalpur
- Hubballi-Dharwad Central: BJP’s Mahesh Tenginkai continues to maintain lead against Congress leader Jagadish Shettar
- In Bengaluru city, Congress is maintaining lead in 12 constituencies while ruling BJP in 15 constituencies and JD(S) in 1
- Former Karnataka CM
Siddaramaiah says Congress will win 120 seats and form government on its own. “PM Modi and Amit Shah’s strategies have failed. BJP hit by anti-incumbency and corruption,” he says - After 5th round of counting, Congress candidate UT Khader is leading in Mangaluru constituency with over 30,000 votes. BJP candidate Sathish Kumpala has secured 16,086 votes
- Gandhi Nagar: Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao, who was trailing against BJP’s AR Sapthagiri Gowda, now leading
- Congress crosses half-way mark in early trends, leads in 115 constituencies, BJP ahead in 73 seats while JDS leads in 29 seats.
- Jagadish Shettar trailing by over 11,000 votes against BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginkai in Hubballi-Dharwad Central after 8th round of counting
- Badami constituency: JD (S) candidate Mavi Mavinmarad is leading
- Congress candidate and three-time MLA from Shanti Nagar in Bengaluru NA Haris trailing against BJP candidate and former corporator K Shivakumar
- JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, is leading in Ramanagara constituency by over 3,000 votes against HA Iqbal Hussain of the Congress
- Belagavi: Laxman Savadi gets considerable lead after 4th round of counting. The Congress leader is ahead of BJP’s Mahesh Kumathalli by a margin of over 12,000 votes.
- Congress candidate AR Krishnamurthy, who had lost by one vote in 2004 polls, is marching towards victory in Kollegal reserve segment of Chamarajanagar district. He has a lead of 17,699 against his rival N Mahesh of BJP
- Shiggaon constituency: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai is leading against Congress’ Pathan Yasir Ahmed Khan by over 6,000 votes
- Chittapur: Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leading with 4,423 votes against BJP candidate Manikanth Rathod after 3 rounds of counting
- Kanakapura seat: Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar leading by about 6,000 votes against BJP leader R Ashoka
- Shikaripura: Independent candidate Nagaraj Gowda is now leading against BJP’s BY Vijayendra
- Sedam constituency: Congress candidate Sharan Prakash Patil leading against BJP candidate Rajkumar Patil
- Congress candidate Mantar Gowda extends his lead over BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan in Madikeri
- BJP doubles it’s lead in Shivamogga segment where the party replaced veteran leader KS Eshwarappa
- Puttur constituency: Ashok Kumar Rai from Congress leading, followed by Independent candidate Arun Kumar Puthila and BJP’s Asha Thimmappa Gowda at third place
- Belagavi South: BJP candidate Abhay Patil maintaining lead of 7,682 votes against Ramakant Konduskar after 4th round of counting
- Athani constituency: Congress candidate Laxman Savadi maintaining lead of 3,000 votes in 3rd round of counting of votes
- BY Vijayendra, son of former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa, leading from Shikaripura
- BJP MLA Appachu Ranjan trailing against Congress’ Mantar Gowda in Madikeri
- Chamarajanagar: BJP’s V Somanna is trailing by over 200 votes against Congress candidate Putttarangashetty
- Chikkamagalur: BJP national general secretary CT Ravi is now trailing
- Early trend reversed with Shettar trailing as BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginakai is now leading in Hubballi-Dharwad Central
- Varuna constituency: Former CM Siddaramaiah is leading in postal ballot votes. There are 855 postal ballot votes in Varuna
- Early trends now reversed with Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra trailing at Tirthahalli in Shivamogga
- Belagavi: BJP candidate Ramesh Jarkiholi is lagging behind by 500 votes in Gokak constituency against Congress candidate Dr Mahantesh Kadadi
- Chikkamagalur: BJP national general secretary CT Ravi is leading
- BJP is leading in Shivamogga segment
- Congress candidate Jagadish Shettar, who is contesting from Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency, is leading
The results of the Karnataka polls will set the tone for the general elections in 2024 and the scheduled assembly polls in five states later this year: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.
Both Congress and BJP are hopeful that the results will prove the exit polls wrong and win them a majority even as both parties made attempts to woo the independent candidates, who are likely to win in the eventuality of they just falling short of simple majority — 113 seats.
JD(S), led by former PM HD Deve Gowda, is hoping that the exit poll predictions come true, as it would enable it to emerge as a kingmaker or even king and play a key role in the formation of the next government.
A party needs to win 113 seats to reach the majority mark and stake a claim to forming the government in Karnataka.
The key constituencies to watch out for are Varuna, Kanakapura, Shiggaon, Hubballi-Dharwad, Channapatna, Shikaripura, Chittapur, Ramanagara and Chikmagalur.
