By India Today News Desk: The Congress appears poised to form a government on its own in Karnataka as it is ahead in 117 seats, according to trends of the Karnataka election result. The BJP, on the other hand, is ahead in 75 seats. The JD(S) is ahead in 27 seats, the trends showed.
A party needs 113 seats to form the government in Karnataka.
In the 2018 Assembly polls, the BJP won 104 seats while the Congress secured victory in 80 seats.
The Congress gained 37 seats more than it had won in the 2018 polls. The BJP lost 29 seats less than the seats it secured in the previous election.
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The counting began at 8 am in 36 centres across the state amid elaborate security arrangements in place, especially in and around the counting centres to avoid any untoward incidents, official sources told PTI.
The Mallikarjun Kharge-led Congress was leading by 44.4 per cent vote share as of 9.30 am on Saturday, while the BJP was at 37.4 per cent vote share. At the same time, the JD(S) was at 10.5 per cent vote share, the EC’s website showed.
A clear picture of the election result is likely to emerge by mid-day today.
WHAT INDIA TODAY’S EXIT POLL HAD SAID?
The India Today-Axis My India Exit Poll had predicted a victory for the Congress somewhere between 122 and 140 seats in Karnataka. The BJP, which ran a high-voltage campaign in the state, is projected to finish second somewhere between 62 and 80 seats, the survey showed.
The JD(S) is likely to garner between 20 and 25 seats in the state, the exit poll said.
In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs, followed by the Congress at 69, JD(S) 29, BSP one, two Independents, one speaker and six vacant seats (following deaths and resignations to join other parties ahead of the polls).
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