Karnataka election: Congress snatches southern state from BJP
Karnataka Election 2023 Results LIVE: The counting of votes for the high stake Karnataka assembly elections 2023 is underway. The Congress is striding forward with leads in 117 seats while the BJP was ahead in 75 in Karnataka, according to Election Commission of India trends. The Janata Dal-S (JD-S), hoping to become kingmaker, was leading in 25 seats.
Exit polls suggested that it will be a close race - one that will see the Congress emerge as the single-largest party but not with enough to cross the 113-seat mark. Karnataka voted in a single phase and recorded a 73.19 per cent voter turnout, according to the state's chief electoral officer
Chikkaballapura district recorded the highest voting percentage with 85.56 per cent and the lowest of 52.33 per cent was in state capital Bengaluru's southern division
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2:21pm IST
Why Karnataka elections were so crucial for the BJP?
The election in Karnataka is the first of five crucial state polls this year- seen as an indicator of voter sentiment ahead of national elections next year.
1:38pm IST
Who will be Congress' chief minister?
The race for the Chief Minister post was the one issue most discussed around the Congress party. Both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah announced themselves to be the CM faces of the party in early 2022.
But…
Something changed. In November 2022, the leaders took out a joint bus rally in the state as per the plan of the Congress high command. Then, they were seen together during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The lack of controversy over the CM's face may have worked for the Congress.
1:32pm IST
Karnataka Election Results 2023 Live: Let's look at the vote share
In terms of vote share, Congress got 43 per cent, BJP 36 per cent and JD(S) 13.2 per cent.
Congress chief on party's win in Karnataka
Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Once 'High Command' sends observers, other processes will follow."
12:52pm IST
Karnataka Congress leader on party's win: 'A clear mandate'
Karnataka Congress leader BK Hariprasad said, "...Not a new path, people have chosen the clean path. This is a good mandate against BJP's false promises and negative politics...We had received a clear mandate much earlier. Still, they formed the Govt by poaching our MLAs. People didn't want to experiment this time. So, they gave a clear mandate."
12:49pm IST
Karnataka Election Result 2023 Live: Anti-incumbency is the cause of BJP's defeat? Maybe.
The BJP, trying to buck the anti-incumbency against the only government it heads in southern India, failed. It is a feat no party has achieved in Karnataka since 1985.
The BJP banked on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who held marathon rallies and inaugurated several big development projects in the run up to the polls.
But maybe, it is anti-incumbency that became the reason for BJP's defeat.
12:30pm IST
BJP failed to make the mark, Congress did successfully, says Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said, "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 added.
12:20pm IST
A look at the outgoing assembly as Congress set to win in Karnataka
In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs, followed by the Congress 69, JD
12:15pm IST
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra for the win?
With a possible win on the horizon, Congress' Shama Mohammed said, "The Bharat Jodo Yatra made a lot of difference", referring to the Kanyakumari to Kashmir campaign headed by Rahul Gandhi.
12:10pm IST
Congress calls for legislature party meeting Sunday
Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting called tomorrow morning in Bengaluru as the party crosses the majority mark and surges ahead in 118 seats in Karnataka election results.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Karnataka election results as the battle for Karnataka began at 8 am with the Bharatiya Janata Party looking to retain control of the state in the face of (what exit polls believe will be) a strong challenge from the Congress.
The voting passed off in Karnataka with a turnout of 73.19 per cent, surpassing the 72.36 per cent recorded in 2018, reports Hindustan Times.
The Opposition Congress on Saturday seemed to be on course to breach the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's lone southern citadel Karnataka, with DK Shivakumar-led the party in the state leading in 114 seats.
Buoyed by the initial trends, the Congress said the message given to the BJP was to stick to public issues that matter, even as the saffron party expressed hope of securing the simple majority mark of 113.
The opposition party marched ahead establishing a lead in 114 constituencies, while the BJP was leading in 73 seats, according to the latest Election Commission (EC) trends of counting of votes polled in the Karnataka assembly elections.
The former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) is leading in 30 segments, and others in five seats. Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai (Shiggaon) and DK Shivakumar (Kanakapura) were leading in their respective seats.
Former CM Jagadish Shettar, who quit the BJP after being denied to contest in the May 10 election for the 224-member assembly, was trailing in Hubballi-Dharwad Central by 2,614 votes. He was fielded there by the Congress.
JD(S) leader and another former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was leading in Channapatna against BJP's CP Yogeshwara by 93 votes.
Shivakumar was ahead of his BJP rival, state minister R Ashoka by about 6,000 votes. Congress leader Pavan Khera said, "This is the message for the BJP that please stick to issues that matter to everyday life of people and don't try and divide India."
In the morning, the BJP took an early lead in a neck-and-neck contest against the Congress as the counting of votes for Karnataka elections came in.
At 8.26, the BJP was leading in 86 seats, while the Congress was ahead on 76 seats in the 244-member assembly. The Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 20 seats.
"The counting of votes will start at 8am across 36 designated centres in the southern state," the Election Commission said before the counting.
A clear picture of the result is likely to emerge by noon. The magic figure is 113 seats.
This assembly election carried much significance as it was held almost a year before the 2024 general elections. The election witnessed an aggressive battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, and the JD(S).
According to the Election Commission (EC), Karnataka recorded a 73.19 per cent voter turnout in the May 10 assembly elections, the highest-ever voter turnout in the southern state.
This assembly election carried much significance as it was held almost a year before the 2024 general elections. The election witnessed an aggressive battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, and the JD(S).
According to the Election Commission (EC), Karnataka recorded a 73.19 per cent voter turnout in the May 10 assembly elections, the highest-ever voter turnout in the southern state.
