Bengaluru: The Congress was surging ahead in the Karnataka assembly election results of which were declared on Saturday.
According to reports, the Congress was ahead of its rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in 131 constituencies and the BJP was winning in 68. Till 12:30 pm, it was clear that the Congress was set to cross the majority figure 113 in the 228-member Karnataka assembly.
The Congress leaders said the public gave a message to the BJP that the party should stick to public issues instead of whipping up communal passion to woo voters.
Nevertheless, the BJP, too, said that the party would touch the magic figure of majority.
Nevertheless, the picture presented by the EC office defies the BJP’s claim. The Congress’s vote share shot up by seven percent 42.3%, which may increase, but the BJP is confined to 36.1% vote share.
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janatal Dal (S) is ahead in 25 seats and others in five seats.
On the other hand, outgoing chief minister Basavraj Bommai and Congress state unit president DK Shivkumar are leading in their constituencies Shiggaon and Kanakapura, respectively.
On the other hand, former chief minister Jagdish Shettar, who resigned from the BJP is trailing behind the BJP candidate in Hubballi-Dharwad central by 2, 614 votes. He was contesting on the Congress ticket.
Meanwhile, JD (S) candidate and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was leading against BJP’s CP Yogeshwara from Channapatna constituency.
Congress leader Pawan 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.”
Bommai held a press conference and accepted the defeat saying that the party would introspect the reasons for the defeat in the assembly.
According to the latest reports, eight ministers of the previous government are trailing in their constituencies.
