The Congress party is all set to form the government in Karnataka with the party now extending its lead well beyond the halfway mark. The debate now shifts to who will be crowned the next chief minister.
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Assembly poll victory will help Congress in Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka next yearThe Congress' victory in the Karnataka assembly polls is likely to help the party get its candidates elected in three of the four Rajya Sabha seats from the state falling vacant next year.
The tenure of four Rajya Sabha members from the state -- Syed Nasir Hussain, GC Chandrashekhar, and L Hanumanthaiah of the Congress and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP -- ends in 2024.
The BJP, which won 65 of the 224 assembly seats in the state on Saturday, will be able to get its one nominee elected to the Rajya Sabha next year.
The BJP currently has six Rajya Sabha members from Karnataka, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Of the 12 Rajya Sabha seats from the state, the Congress has five members and the Janata Dal (Secular) one.
Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda is the lone JDS member in the Rajya Sabha.
The tenure of Deve Gowda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will end in 2026, along with that of Iranna Kadali and Narayana Koragappa (both of the BJP).
The tenure of four other members, including Sitharaman, will end in 2028.
CM Basavaraj Bommai submits resignation to Karnataka GovernorKarnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, following BJP's defeat in the Assembly polls.
The Governor has accepted the resignation, an official release said.
Speaking to reporters, Bommai said: "We respectfully accept the decision of the people. I take the responsibility for the defeat."
"This time despite getting more than 36 percent votes, we have got less number of seats. An analysis is going on, but defeat is a defeat. In the party, we will do a detailed analysis of the results, and rectify wherever required."
Congress party’s G Parameshwara records 6th win in Karnataka Assembly pollsSenior Congress leader and former Karnataka minister G Parameshwara recorded his sixth victory in the Assembly polls in the southern state on Saturday.
The former state Congress chief, who has said he is in the chief ministerial race, won the poll contest from the Koratagere constituency by a comfortable margin of 14,347 votes.
Parameshwara bagged 79,099 votes as against the 64,752 votes secured by his nearest rival, P R Sudhakar Lal of the Janata Dal (Secular). Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) B H Anil Kumar was in the third place with 24,091 votes, according to the Election Commission's (EC) website.
14 ministers lose Assembly election in KarnatakaAs many as 14 ministers of the outgoing Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government lost the Karnataka Assembly elections, the counting for which was taken up on Saturday.
They are: Govinda Karjol (Mudhol), J C Madhuswamy (Chikkanayakanahalli), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Shankar Patil Munena Koppa (Navalgund), Halappa Achar (Yelburga) and B Sriramulu (Ballari), K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapur), B C Nagesh (Tiptur), Murugesha Nirani (Bilgi), B C Patil (Hirekerur) and M T B Nagaraj (Hoskote). Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, a BJP leader, also lost the Sirsi seat.
Minister V Somanna lost from Varuna and Chamarajanagar, the two segments where he contested. Minister R Ashoka, who too contested from two constituencies, was reelected from Padmanabhanagar but lost in Kanakapura.
Results of three constituencies awaitedThe Election Commission is yet to announce results of three seats, including the Jayanagar assembly segment in Bengaluru. Congress candidate Soumya Reddy's winning margin was reportedly 160 votes. BJP candidate CK Ramamurthy alleged discrepancies in counting postal votes and demanded recounting. Recounting is on.
Meanwhile, clocking the highest majority, Congress leader DK Shivakumar has won by a whopping 1.2 lakh margin from Kanakapura constituency. Other candidates including BJP's R Ashoka lost deposits.
Scoreboard now:The following is the party position in the Karnataka Assembly elections at 7.45 pm on Saturday, according to latest counting trends updated by the Election Commission.
Elections to 224 seats were held on May 10. Congress has won 133 seats and is leading in 3 others. The BJP has so far won 64 seats and is leading in one other.
First meeting of Congress Legislature Party tomorrow"First meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has been called tomorrow at 5:30pm," says Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC in-charge of Karnataka
The BJP's comprehensive defeat to the Congress in Karnataka where the two parties ran a campaign of contrasts has left the ruling party with much to ponder as the two rivals prepare for a direct contest in three more state polls this year in the run-up to the all-important 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP's hopes that the popular appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who like every state election campaigned intensively this time as well, and its grander themes of nationalism, Hindutva and the country's development will be more than a match to the Congress' promises and charges against its state government turned out to be futile.
The Congress took a turn to social justice plank by supporting caste census, a first for the party, and promising to raise the reservation bar to 75 per cent from existing 50 per cent. Having tested success, the party is bound to raise the pitch and force the BJP to look for a countermeasure to protect its support among the other Backward Classes.
While many BJP leaders drew consolation from the party's almost steady vote share of around 36 per cent like last time, the rise in the Congress' support to over 43 per cent from 38 per cent underscores that it succeeded in wooing most of the floating voters and those who broke from the Janata Dal (Secular).
The Opposition's success in building a strong caste coalition combined with Muslim votes to get the better of the BJP is another significant takeaway from the polls, experts said.
Congress leader AK Antony on party win:“...The clear message is that it is a victory of secular forces against hate politics. National message is if the secular voters can unite, they can easily throw out the Modi Govt in 2024 election.”
“...In one of the speeches in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi made a light comment. Only for that, a national leader who got elected by more than 4 lakh votes was disqualified from Lok Sabha and thrown out of his house. Karnataka's people don't like it...”
Even as the ruling BJP was defeated in the Karnataka Assembly elections, the party retained its traditional stronghold in the coastal region by securing victories in 11 of the 13 constituencies in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
In Mangaluru South, sitting MLA Vedavyas Kamath of BJP secured an easy victory over Congress candidate J R Lobo, while in Udupi, BJP's Yashpal Suvarna scored a huge win over Congress candidate Prasadraj Kanchan by more than 30,000 votes.
In Mangaluru North, BJP’s Bharat Y Shetty defeated Inayat Ali of Congress, while the Congress rebel and Janata Dal-S candidate Mohiuddin Bava could muster only around 5,000 votes, while in the South constituency, it was smooth sailing for Vedavyas Kamath of BJP over congress candidate JR Lobo, who won with a margin of over 25,000 votes.
The BJP also won in Moodbidri where incumbent MLA Umanath Kotian registered comfortable victory over Mithun Rai by a margin of over 20,000 votes, while in Sullia, BJP candidate Bhagirathi Muruliya won over G Krishnappa of Congress by around 30,000 votes.
Harish Poonja (Belthangady) and Rajesh Naik (Bantwal) also retained their seats for the BJP defeating Rakshith Shivaram and Ramanath Rai of Congress respectively in Dakshina Kannada district.
The BJP also retained the Karkala seat, with state minister V Sunil Kumar winning over Congress candidate Udaya Shetty Muniyal by around 5,000 votes, despite a spirited campaign by Sri Rama Sene leader Pramod Muthalik, who garnered only around 4,500 votes.
In Kundapur, Kiran Kumar Kodgi of the BJP scored an easy win over Congress nominee Dinesh Hegde, while in Byndoor, Congress candidate Gopala Poojary gave a tight fight against Gururaj Gantihole of BJP before conceding defeat.
The BJP also retained its Kaup seat in the district through Gurme Suresh Shetty by sailing past former minister and Congress candidate Vinay Kumar Sorake.
PM Modi congratulates Congress party on Karnataka poll win“Congratulations to the Congress Party for their victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls. My best wishes to them in fulfilling people’s aspirations,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
He added: “I thank all those who have supported us in the Karnataka elections. I appreciate the hard work of BJP Karyakartas. We shall serve Karnataka with even more vigour in the times to come.”
“The type of divisive politics that the BJP does, is not going to be successful every time. This is a clear message. We stood for the poor of Karnataka. They stood for the rich. Finally, the poor won this election. This is the clear narrative of this election,” says Congress general secretary KC Venugopal
-- Congress has 91 seats and is leading in 45 others.
-- The BJP has so far won 45 seats and is leading in 19 others.
-- As per ECI data, Congress at 137 as it leads in 101 seats and wins 36 seats. BJP leading in 45 seats, wins 17 seats.
-- Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge wins in Chittapur against BJP's Manikanta Rathod by 13,640 votes.
-- Karnataka Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri (BJP) loses to Bhimanna Naik of Congress by 8,712 votes in Sirsi seat.
-- Health Minister K Sudhakar (BJP) loses to Pradeep Eshwar (Congress) in Chikkaballapura by 10,642 votes.
-- Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Maduswamy (BJP) loses to C B Suresh Babu of JD(S) in Chikkanayakanahalli by 10,042 votes.
Congress victory shows that PM Modi is not invincible, say Opposition leadersOpposition leaders on Saturday lauded the Congress for its victory in Karnataka and thanked the people of the state, saying that this win has showed that "Modi is not invincible".
Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Binoy Viswam said: “Pro-poor promises and secular stance helped Congress to score the historic Karnataka victory. It urges them to learn necessary lessons and to be more responsible in national politics. Modi is never invincible. If all secular forces are united, 2024 will see the end of BJP Raj.”
TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweeted: “Thank you Karnataka. For choosing LPG over Bajrangbaliji.”
CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said: “Thank you #Karnataka for giving such a fitting rebuff to not just the corrupt and non-performing Bommai regime but to the hate-filled and arrogant Modi-Shah-Yogi campaign. It has set the stage for the forthcoming elections and encouraged every defender of democracy across India.”
"We have won, and now we have to work. I don't want to criticise anybody," emphasises Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the party's win in Karnataka.
"Karnataka mein nafrat ki bazaar band hui hai, mohabbat ki dukaan khuli hai," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He added, "Strength of poor people defeated power of crony capitalists, this will happen in all states."
"If majority of the MLAs want a Dalit CM then the High command won't go against it. High command can't impose a CM candidate. No doubt DK Shivakumar has worked without sleep for last 3 years," said Former Chief minister Veerappa Moily to CNN News18.
According to latest ECI data, Congress at 137 as it leads in 101 seats and wins 36 seats. BJP leading in 45 seats, wins 17 seats. JD(S) is leading in 16 seats, wins 5 seats.
"Poor people defeated crony capitalists in Karnataka. We won this election on the basis of love and not the politics of hate. I thank and congratulate people of Karnataka, party workers and leaders," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on party's thumping victory.
"This (election result in Karnataka) will be a stepping stone for Congress' victory in 2024," Siddaramaiah said, losing no time in sending the signal that he has set his sights set on the future.
"I thank the people of Karnataka for giving a huge mandate to Congress. We will uphold their belief in us. We will implement all the welfare schemes we have announced in our manifesto. I thank Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi who campaigned even when she wasn't well," said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
"Victory and defeat aren't new to BJP. Party workers need not be panicked by these results. We will introspect about the party's setback. I respectfully accept this verdict," said BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on the party's defeat.
"I am grateful to the people of Chittapur for electing me for the third time. We will give the people of Karnataka a stable government. CM face will be decided by party high command," said Priyank Kharge, Congress MLA.
Congress wins 8 seats, leads in 126 seats. BJP wins 4 seats, leads in 60 seats while JD(S) leads in 22 seats.
"First we won Himachal Pradesh and then we won Karnataka...They used to speak of 'Congress mukt-Bharat' but now South India is 'BJP-mukt'," said Chhattisgarh CM and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel.
"I hope Rahul Gandhi will become the country's PM in 2024," said Siddaramaiah. "People have rejected divisive politics. Newly elected MLAs will make a decision and based on their decision, the high command will decide on the CM. No relevance of Modi in Karnataka. Even if Shah and Modi come, it will make no difference. This is a warning sign for the BJP and Narendra Modi. People of India will vote against the BJP in 2024," he added.
"It is a mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda. PM came to Karnataka 20 times; no PM in the past campaigned like this," said Congress leader Siddaramaiah on his party's victory in Karnataka elections. He added, "People have rejected divisive politics. Newly elected MLAs will make a decision and based on their decision, the high command will decide on the CM."
"We will cross 130 seats also, it is a big victory of Congress party. People of Karnataka wanted a change because they were fed up with the BJP government. BJP spent a lot of money on 'Operation Kamala'. Padyatra of Rahul ji helped as well in enthusing cadre of party," said Congress leader Siddaramaiah.
"People have reposed faith in us, leaders have supported us. I can't forget Sonia Gandhi visiting me after the 'BJP people' jailed me, said Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said, "...If they (BJP) spend crores of rupees, 'Operation Lotus' can take place but Congress will get majority. There is no Scindia in Karnataka. There are strong Congress men in Karnataka..."
"All our leaders have worked unitedly and people have voted for our 'guarantees'," said AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. "Once 'High Command' sends observers, other processes will follow. All newly-elected MLAs asked to come to Bengaluru this evening. People have voted against bad administration," he added.
Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar gets emotional on his party's comfortable victory in state Assembly elections.
Congress leader BK Hariprasad says, "This is a clear message for 2024 (General elections) and the upcoming state elections in three states - BJP has to go."
"...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 government by poaching our MLAs. People didn't want to experiment this time. So, they gave a clear mandate," said Congress leader BK Hariprasad.
"This is the victory of 'Janata Janardhan'," says Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge on party's good show in Karnataka polls.
K Gopal Poojary trailing in Byndoor constituency. KR Ramesh Kumar trailing in Srinivaspur. Congress candidate Jagadish Shettar lagging behind in Hubballi Dharwad.
Congress candidate Kusuma H is leading in Rajarajeshwarinagar. Congress candidate NA Haris is leading in Shanti Nagar. 92-year-old Shamanur Shivashankarappa is leading in Davanagere South Assembly constituency. KH Muniyappa is leading in Devanahalli.
Ramalinga Reddy (BTM Layout) Dinesh Gundu Rao (Gandhi Nagar), Krishna Byregowda (Byatarayanapura), KJ George (Sarvagnanagar), Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamrajpet), Rizwan Arshad (Shivaji Nagar), B Shivanna (Anekal), Priya Krishna (Govindaraj Nagar), AC Srinivasa (Pulikeshi Nagar).
Siddaramaiah (Varuna), DK Shivakumar (Kanakapura), MB Patil (Babaleshwara), G Parameshwara (Koratagere), Eswar Kandre (Bhalki), HK Patil (Gadag), UT Khader (Mangaluru), TB Jayachandra (Sira), Priyank Kharge (Chittapur),Tanveer Sait (Narasimharaja), Santosh Lad (Kalagatagi), Satish Jarkiholi (Yamakanmardi), Madhu Bangarappa (Sorab), Lakshmi Hebbalkar (Belgavi Rural), Laxman Savadi (Athani),
R V Deshpande (Haliyal).
Congress leader Vinay Kulkarni, who was barred entry into Dharwad Rural constituency, is also in lead.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar has won by more than 50,000 votes from Kanakapura.
"Right now the people's verdict is in favour of Congress. It is very surprising to see this result. BJP in Karnataka did extremely well. We need to accept people's verdict, it is in the favour of Congress...Let's see the factors that went against BJP, let's discuss & debate later," says Karnataka Minister CN Ashwathnarayan.
Congress workers celebrate in Chennai as Congress party crosses majority mark in the results.
"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," said Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai.
Karnataka election result is as per our expectations. PM sought votes by keeping himself in the front. So, this is Modi's defeat..," says Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.
"You can see with whom Bajrang Bali stands. Bajrang Bali's gada hit corruption on its head & BJP was done," he added.
As the party gains ground on BJP in the results, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar welcomes supporters gathered outside his residence in Bengaluru.
Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting called tomorrow morning in Bengaluru as the party crosses the majority mark and surges ahead in 118 seats.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel distributes sweets as Congress wins the majority seats in Karnataka.
In the 2023 elections, HD Kumaraswamy's party boosted its representation in Dalit-dominated seats to 11 out of 37 from 7 out of 37 seats in 2018 .
"We told that even if PM Modi comes nothing will work and see that has happened. We are leading in 120 seats. As we expected we will get the majority," said Congress leader Siddaramaiah.
"The atmosphere which was visible in Karnataka during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is clearly vCongress surges ahead in 117 seats while BJP leads in 76isible in the election results of Karnataka today. Under the leadership of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leaders did a great campaign. Karnataka has chosen the politics of development by rejecting communal politics. This will be repeated in the upcoming Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana assembly elections as well," tweeted Congress leader and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.
The words "Karnataka Vijay" had been placed on a poster outside the Delhi office of the AICC. According to the most recent ECI trends, Congress gains 117 seats while the BJP leads in 76 seats.
Karnataka BJP leader B. S. Yediyurappa is expected to speak with media at 12 noon.
In his first tweet of the day, DK Shivakumar complimented his team as trends indicated that Congress is leading in state polls. Seven-time MLA Shivakumar is also known as Kanakapura da Bande or the Boulder of Kanakapura. He is a top candidate for the position of CM.
Basavaraj Bommai, the chief minister of Karnataka, and other BJP leaders are at the party's headquarters in the Shiggaon district as the latest ECI trends show that the BJP is leading in 75 seats while Congress is leading in 117 seats.
"It is certain that Congress will form the government in Karnataka. BJP will attempt to strike a deal with MLAs of other parties and independent candidates," said Congress leader & former MP CM Kamal Nath.
The Congress high command has scheduled a meeting for this evening in Bangalore, which is being presided over by Mallikarjun Kharge. According to reports, the winners are expected to meet at the Hilton Hotel. Kharge will speak with elected MLAs alongside three observers to get their opinions on probable chief ministerial candidates.
"We will come to power on our own strength," says Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah. Congress will win with over 120 seats, he added.
At the AICC office in Delhi, there are currently fireworks and celebrations going on as the Congress party passes the halfway point.
Congress leader and former CM Siddaramaiah leading in Varuna by 2,710 votes against BJP minister V Somanna.
"Congress has the majority. We will have a thumping victory. The slogan of '40% commission government' given by us, was accepted by the public. It was a major issue raised by us to defeat BJP. People accepted it and gave majority to the Congress," said Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, trails behind Cong candidate H A Iqbal Hussain by 9,609 votes in the Ramanagara seat.
According to ECI data, Congress has crossed the halfway mark in early trends, with leads in 115 constituencies, BJP has bagged 74 seats, while JDS leads in 29 seats.
In 59 seats, the margin between the leader and the closest rival is less than 1,000 votes as counting continues.
Trends reveal constituencies with higher literacy appear to be favouring BJP, with the party leading in 35 of 56 constituencies with literacy rates above 80%.
As per the ECI data, Congress is clocking 43.2% vote share and is leading on 112 seats, which is 1 seat away from the half way mark.
Congress is in the lead with 43% vote share, followed by BJP at 36.5% and JD(S) at 12.5%. With trends available for 217 seats, Congress currently holds the edge with 112 seats in their favour.
- Congress is leading in 41 of the 75 seats which reported a voter turnout of more than 80%.
- BJP is leading in 35 of the 60 seats which reported a voter turnout of less than 70%.
- Advantage for BJP in geographically smaller constituencies (less than 100 sq km and generally urban).
- BJP leads in 23 seats that were won by Congress in 2018, seven seats which JDS won in 2018.
- Basavaraj Bommai leading from Shiggaon with 8517 votes
- BY Vijayendra leading from Shikaripura with 2282
- Jagdish Shettar trailing by 3835 votes in Hubli-Dharwad- Centre
- Priyank Kharge leading from Chittapur with 5330 votes
- Abhay Patil leading from Belgaum Dakshin with 7629 votes
- DK Shivakumar leading from Kanakapura with 9730 votes.
Karnataka minister of Urban Development Byrati Basavaraj from BJP leads in KR Puram in Bengaluru.
BJP leader and Minister for Cooperation, ST Somashekhar, is currently trailing behind in the Yeshwantpur constituency.
As Congress maintains a lead in 110 constituencies as per the Election Commission data, the party has asserted that it will win with a comfortable majority. BJP has bagged 71 seats, as per the ECI data, yet way far behind the Congress.
Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, the leader of the JD(S), has visited a temple to seek blessings as his party battles to win some seats in the Karnataka election of 2023.
Priyank Kharge, son of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, leading from Chittapur
Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar leading in Kanakapura by about 6,000 votes against BJP leader and Minister R Ashoka.
JD(S)' Kumaraswamy is now leading again in Channapatna and ex-CM Jagdish Shettar is trailing behind in Hubballi-Dharwad region.
Karnataka CM and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai is leading from the Shiggaon Assembly seat against Congress' Pathan Yasir Ahmed Khan by 6,236 votes.
Former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, who joined Congress is leading in Athani. CT Ravi, the general secretary of the BJP, is in trailing behind in the Chikkamagaluru district. Ravi was crucial to the growth of Bajrang Dal in the region. Ravi is running against HD Thammaiah, a former ally, n Chikamagaluru.
Indicative of the early trends pouring in, Congress party members in Delhi have begun to celebrate as the party continues to hold a lead.
HD Kumaraswamy's JD(S), which the leader had referred to as the "King" in the Karnataka Election Result 2023, is lagging behind the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The JD(S) has so far managed to tightened its grasp on only 24 Assembly constituencies.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Congress party leads in 44 seats, the BJP in 23, and the JDS in 7. On the ECI/ website, trends for 101 seats indicate Congress holds a 45.3% vote share, BJP with 38.8%, and the JD(S) with 7.7%.
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