Karnataka Election LIVE: Let BJP prove majority, Yeddyurappa asks Governor

Karnataka Election Result LIVE updates: Giving Karnataka election outcome a new twist, Sonia Gandhi reportedly rang up HD Kumaraswamy and offered support to the JD(S), with him as the Chief Minister of the state. Incumbent Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah submitted his resignation to the Governor today. With Modi wave still riding high, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday forged ahead winning 82 seats and leading in 22. The ruling Congress, desperate to retain power in the state amid shrinking appeal nationally, suffered major blows and was ahead only in 28 seats constituencies in the Karnataka Assembly polls, according to trends. It managed to win 50 seats by 4:00 pm. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lost from Chamundeshwari.

In contrast, the BJP's Chief Ministerial face B S Yeddyurappa beat his Congress rival by 35,397 votes in Shikaripura. JD(S) was leading in 10 seats and has won 27 seats so far.

BJP activists and leaders celebrated noisily in both Bengaluru and New Delhi, waving party flags and shouting slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, their main vote-getter, and party President Amit Shah.

There were also celebrations outside the residence of Yeddyurappa, who has been Chief Minister earlier too.

Karnataka election result 2018: Siddaramaiah meets Governor, resigns as CM

The Karnataka Assembly election 2018 result is close to being known as vote counting is underway on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally blitz in the state poised to pay off. According to official Election Commission figures as of 16:11 pm, the BJP was leading in 26 seats and had won 78 seats, the Congress was leading in 30 seats and had won 48, the Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 14 seats and had won 23, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party had won one seat, the Bahujan Samaj Party won one seat, and the independents were leading in one seat. Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has submitted his resignation to the Governor of Karnataka.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.
The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. "Postal ballots will be counted first before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are opened," Kumar said.

Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker if there is a hung Assembly.

Karnataka verdict a blow to Congress' dream of challenging Modi in 2019

On the cusp of delivering a crushing defeat to the Congress in Karnataka Assembly election 2018 Results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday was on course to emerge as the largest single party in the state. But the 110-seat halfway mark of the 222 constituencies that went to the polls on Saturday was still eluding the party at the time of filing of this report. Elections to the remaining two seats will be held on May 28.

Interestingly, the Congress led the BJP in terms of vote share by over a percentage point. But, the BJP maximised its winnings in its areas of influence. If the Congress’ vote share was 38 per cent, the BJP's was 36.7 per cent.

The Janata Dal (Secular) proved that prophecies of its demise were premature. The JD(S) was on course to match its 2013 tally of 40 seats, and its vote share was 17.7 per cent, two percentage points less than in 2013. But, with BJP inching towards the majority mark, it seemed the JD (S) could have lost the opportunity to play the kingmaker.

Some of the ministers in the Siddaramaiah government were trailing, including the chief minister himself in one of the two seats in which he contested. He was trailing JD(S)'s G T Deve Gowda by over 27,000 votes in Chamundeshwari, and his defeat looked imminent. He was leading in Badami, the second seat that he contested, by 3,000 votes. The trend of some of the ministers losing suggested that there was anti-incumbency against individual legislators in the Siddaramaiah government, if not the government itself.

Karnataka election results: JD(S) accepts Cong's alliance offer; updates

The Karnataka Assembly election 2018 result is close to being known as vote counting is underway on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally blitz in the state poised to pay off. According to official Election Commission figures as of 14:17 pm, the BJP was leading in 70 seats and had won 36 seats, the Congress was leading in 65 seats and had won nine, the Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 35 seats and had won four, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party had won one seat, the Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in one seat, and the independents were leading in one seat.

According to official Election Commission trends as of 12.50 pm, the BJP was leading in 104 seats and had won four seats, the Congress was leading in 69 seats and had won one, the Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 40 seats, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party was leading in one, the Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in one, and the independents were leading in one seat.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.

How BJP broke Congress' Dalit stronghold and secured a big win in Karnataka

The three basic questions any reporter is taught to ask is: when; where and how. In the context of the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 Results, another one needs to be added: ‘for how long’.

The dismantling of the Siddaramaiah regime began nearly 18 months ago, when B S Yeddyurappa took office as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – much to the chagrin of rival party leaders like K Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar, even one-time protege and loyalist Sadananda Gowda – and proceeded to break the AHINDA (an acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) caste coalition that brought the Congress to power in 2013.

The Congress had gained from the backing of the minorities and the Dalits. The first, Yeddyurappa knew he could not do anything about. The second, he could. He embarked on a back-breaking campaign across Karnataka to win over the Dalits. He ate with them, attended weddings, birthdays and christenings. He kissed babies and felicitated leaders. It was like building bridges with a community that had been oppressed brutally by other castes in Karnataka over the years.

Karnataka election results: Modi rallies set to pay off, BJP leads; updates

The Karnataka Assembly election 2018 result is close to being known as vote counting is underway on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally blitz in the state poised to pay off. According to TV reports, the BJP was leading in 112 seats, Congress was leading in 68 seats, the JD(S) in 40, and others in two seats. Trends showed BJP chief ministerial Candidate B S Yeddyurappa was leading from Shikaripura, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was leading from the Badami seat and was trailing from Chamundeshwari. Further, BJP workers were reportedly celebrating outside the party office in Bengaluru.

According to official Election Commission trends as of 12.02 pm, the BJP was leading in 115 seats, the Congress in 63, the Janata Dal (Secular) in 40, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party in one, and the Bahujan Samaj Party in one.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.

Karnataka election results 2018: BJP seen cruising to majority on its own

Karnataka election results 2018 - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is cruising towards a comfortable majority on its own, the trends so far suggest, opening what BJP President Amit Shah stressed was its gateway to the South. A clear verdict from Bengaluru has implications for the BJP's future prospects in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. The mandate would eliminate the much-speculated role of the Janata Dal (Secular) as the kingmaker and put paid to the theories of a coalition government and the larger ramifications for central politics in Delhi.

The trends so far seem to establish Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s position as the first among equals in the BJP and indeed the Sangh Parivar. A clear majority for the BJP will confirm Shah's skills as a poll strategist par excellence because it was the caste equation he formulated by coalescing the core support of the Lingayats with that of the Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes, Brahmins and sections of the Dalits that broke the majority jinx for the BJP.

Karnataka Election result LIVE

Karnataka poll result surprised markets; limited upside from here: U R Bhat

.

It is a good performance by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Karnataka Assembly polls Results and this is being reflected well in the enthusiasm shown by the markets. The upbeat performance at the bourses was warranted, given the surprising outcome.

However, this is as far as the markets will go in the short term. They were already factoring in a good performance – though not exactly a majority – ahead of the poll result. The performance has actually been better than expected.

Going ahead, the markets will now look at domestic and global cues for direction. There are a number of headwinds at the global level that they will have to face now – rising interest rates in the US, geopolitical situation in Iran, crude oil prices and the upcoming US – North Korea meet being some of them. That said, the sentiment will remain upbeat for a few days given the Karnataka assembly election outcome. The Nifty50 can hit 11,000 in the next couple of days.

Karnataka Election results LIVE updates: Rahul did his best, says Congress

Karnataka Election Result LIVE updates: With Modi wave still riding high, the Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) on Tuesday forged ahead leading in 113 seats while the ruling Congress, desperate to retain power in the state amid shrinking appeal nationally, suffered major blows and was ahead only in 62 seats constituencies in the Karnataka Assembly polls, according to trends. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah trailed in both the constituencies he contested: Badami and Chamundeshwari. In contrast, the BJP's Chief Ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa was ahead of hiCongress rival by more than 11,000 votes in Shikaripura. JD(S) was leading in forty seats by 11.30 am.

BJP activists and leaders celebrated noisily in both Bengaluru and New Delhi, waving party flags and shouting slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, their main vote-getter, and party President Amit Shah.

There were also celebrations outside the residence of Yeddyurappa, who has been Chief Minister earlier too.

The Janata Dal-Secular of former Prime Minister H.D. Dewe Gowda, which has been expected to play the role of a kingmaker in the event of a hung Assembly, was leading in 40 seats -- the same number it won five years ago.

As the vote count progressed, BJP leaders became assertive, saying they were confident of taking power again in Karnataka while Congress leaders began to speak about the possibility of an alliance with the JD-S.