Cong wrests Karnataka from BJP
Bengaluru: The BJP on Wednesday suffered a humiliating defeat in the Karnataka Assembly elections as Congress appeared to be well on its way to wresting power on its own after a gap of seven years.
The wins and trends are as follow:
Cong 121 (Lead: 22, Wins:99), JD(S) 39 (L:9, W:30), BJP 40 (L:28, W:12) , Others 13 (L:9,W:4), KJP 6 (L:3,W:3), BSR Cong 4 (L:1, W:3).
The prospects of a Congress win immediately triggered a race for the chief ministerial post. Opposition leader in the outgoing Assembly Siddaramaiah, a sworn enemy of the Deve Gowda clan, has indicated that he is a top contender. His main rival, G Parameswara, KPCC chief, may have to bow out as he lost the elections. Other names doing the rounds include Union ministers Mallikarjuna Kharge and Veerappa Moily.
Former chief minister S M Krishna has also indicated that he is in the race, but not many are backing the 82-year-old leader.
Among the prominent losers is KPCC chief G Parameshwara who thrown in his hat for the chief ministerial race. Others trailing included Anita Kumaraswamy (JDS), Shoba Karandlaje (KJP) and Somana (BJP).
Hit by the exit of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and the image of corruption during its tenure in the first government in the south, the saffron party has been reduced to two digits and is placed third.
Riding the anti-incumbency wave, Congress wrested its old southern fort by putting up an impressive show and touched the half-way mark of 113. The JD(S) has emerged as the main opposition party.
The fledgling Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) floated by Yeddyurappa, who achieved his immediate task of damaging BJP, won one seat and could establish leads in only eight seats. Yeddyurappa won from Shikaripura by over 15,000 votes. In the elections five years ago when BJP stormed to power for the first time in a southern state on its own, the party had won 110 seats against Congress' 80 and JD(S) 28.
In the 224-member house, 113 seats would be required for majority. Polling was held in 223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district put off to May 28 following death of BJP candidate. Significantly, KJP has damaged the prospects of the BJP in many constituencies, eating into its votes.
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