Karnataka Election Results 2023: Congress crossed half way mark in trends

Opposition Congress in Karnataka forged ahead of the ruling BJP, according to the initial trends of counting of votes polled for the Assembly elections. The grand old party seemed to be on course to breach rival BJP's lone southern citadel Karnataka, racing ahead towards the magic 113 figure to form a government on its own.

Buoyed by the initial trends, 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 in the 224-member House. The opposition party cruised ahead establishing a lead in 118 constituencies, while the BJP was leading in 72 segments, according to trends available with the Election Commission (EC) at 11am.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal is leading in 30 segments. BJP leader and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai (Shiggaon) and Congress State unit President D K 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 polls 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 CM, H D Kumaraswamy was leading in Channapatna against BJP's C P Yogeshwara by just 93 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." Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader D V Sadananda Gowda said: "It is too early to comment on the final results. But certainly we will cross 113."

The state registered a record turnout of 73.19 per cent in the voting on May 10 for the 224 member Assembly. Top state leaders--Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress' Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy are contesting from different seats.

With most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and BJP, leaders of the two parties seem "jittery" over the outcome, while the JD(S) appears to be expecting a hung verdict, which would enable it to play a role in government formation.

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. The BJP has banked on the Modi juggernaut to swing the voters towards it and is looking to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the state has never voted the incumbent party to power.

The Congress, on the other hand, is eyeing a morale booster victory to give itself a much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) will emerge as a "kingmaker" or a "king" by holding the key to government formation, in the event of a hung verdict, as it has done in the past.

Keeping in lines with the two decade old trend, Karnataka has witnessed yet another three-cornered electoral contest this time as well, with a direct fight between the BJP, Congress and JD(S) in most of the constituencies. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP), which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, has also fielded candidates. Also, there were some smaller parties in the fray in certain constituencies.

In the 2018 polls, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats, followed by Congress with 80 seats and JD(S) at 37. There was also an independent member, while the BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) too had one legislator each.

With no party getting a clear majority then and as Congress and JD(S) were trying to forge an alliance, BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa staked claim and formed the government that was short-lived. It was dissolved within three days, ahead of a trust vote, as Yediyurappa was unable to muster the required numbers.

Subsequently, the Congress-JD(S) alliance formed the government with Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister, but the wobbly dispensation collapsed in 14 months, triggered by the resignation of 17 ruling coalition MLAs.

They defected to the BJP and facilitated its return to power. In the bypolls held subsequently in 2019, the ruling party won 12 out of 15 seats, giving the much needed stability to the government. In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs, followed by the Congress at 69, JD(S) 29, BSP one, independents two, Speaker one and vacant six (following deaths and resignations to join other parties ahead of the polls).