Bengaluru - This was a dramatic jump from the 40 seats the BJP won five years ago.
Published: Tue 15 May 2018, 6:56 AM
Last updated: Tue 15 May 2018, 8:53 PM
In a dramatic turn of events after Karnataka delivered a hung Assembly, the Congress on Tuesday announced its backing to the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to form a government to prevent the BJP from regaining power in its only southern bastion.
After the initial euphoria of the Bharatiya Janata Party crossing the half-way mark in the 224-member Assembly where two constituencies didn't vote on Saturday, Election Commission data showed the BJP could end up with 104 seats.
This would be eight seats short of a simple majority in a House where no one else appeared ready to back the BJP.
The Congress, despite being bruised in an election it had hoped to win, was set to take 77 seats and the JD-S could be victorious in 38 constituencies - two short of its tally of 2013.
Independents and smaller parties would bag three seats.
As it became clear that the BJP might not cross the half-way mark, Congress leaders quickly got in touch with the JD-S of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
Latest updates on Karnataka election results:
BJP tells Governor to let them prove majority
BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa announced on Tuesday evening that he had urged Governor Vajubhai Vala to let him prove majority support in the Karnataka Assembly.
Yeddyurappa made the comments to the media after calling on the Governor along with party leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar after results from Saturday's Assembly election threw up a split verdict.
Karnataka Congress chief Parameshwara wins
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President G. Parameshwara won from Koratagere Assembly constituency in Tumakuru district, the Election Commission said on Tuesday.
Parameshwara defeated P.R. Sudhakar Lal of Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) by a margin of 7,619 votes.
The KPCC chief had lost in the May 2013 Assembly election from the same segment, which is his home constituency, denying him an opportunity to stake claim for the Chief Minister's post then.
Kumaraswamy accepts Congress support, to meet Governor
Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday wrote to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala seeking an appointment to meet him, after accepting the support extended by the Congress to form the government in the state.
The JD-S has already announced that Kumaraswamy would be the party's candidate for the Karnataka Chief Minister's post.
"This is to submit to your good self that I have accepted the support extended by the Indian National Congress to form the government.
"In this regard, I seek your appointment on Tuesday evening between 5.30 p.m and 6.00 p.m," Kumaraswamy wrote in the letter to the Governor.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad earlier said it would back the JD-S to form the government following a hung Assembly.
JD-S says Kumaraswamy will be next CM
Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy will be the party's candidate for the Karnataka Chief Minister's post, it announced on Tuesday after finishing third in the Assembly and getting the backing of the Congress.
"It is crystal clear that it will be Kumaraswamy for the Chief Minister's post. With the blessings of the people of Karnataka, he will be the Chief Minister," JD-S spokesperson Danish Ali told a news channel.
Asked if Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Valal can invite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which emerged as the single largest party to form the government, he said: "How can (Governor call the BJP) when majority is there with the two parties.
"In Meghalaya, they didn't invite the single largest party," he said.
Asked if the post of Deputy Chief Minister will be offered to the Congress, Ali said the party will ask the Congress to join the government.
"All those details will be discussed later on. Both the parties have come together and we will provide a stable government," he said.
Siddaramaiah submits his resignation to Karnataka governor: Reports
Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday met the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala, and tendered his resignation after his party apparently lost to the BJP in the crucial assembly elections in the southern state.
The Congress veteran met the state's Governor at the latter's residence and tendered his resignation.
Siddaramaiah was over-confident: Shivakumar
Blaming Siddaramaiah for his "over-confidence", Karnataka Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the Chief Minister was advised against contesting from two seats but he still went ahead. He said the Congress did not do even 10 per cent of what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did during the campaigning.
"Rahul Gandhi (Congress President) did his best to come here and campaign in the state in the past three months. But it is not a good sign for the local leaders, who could not gauge the trend in their own constituencies," said Shivakumar.
"The decision was taken by him (Siddaramaiah) because he knew the constituencies well. We became over-confident... internally we had advised him that he should represent only one constituency," the Congress leader asserted.
Asked if it was Siddaramaiah's "over-confidence", Shivakumar said: "Sure...It is his confidence which has taken (us down) to this level."
The Chief Minister is leading in the Badami seat, but is trailing in Chamundeshwari.
Yeddyurappa to meet Modi
An upbeat B.S. Yeddyurappa, the BJP's Chief Ministerial nominee, would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday and invite them to the swearing-in ceremony of the party's new government in Karnataka, said an official.
"Yeddyurappa will leave for Delhi Tuesday night or Wednesday morning to meet Modi and Shah for inviting them to the swearing-in later this week," state party spokesman S. Shantaram told IANS.
Besides Modi and Shah, many Central ministers, Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled states and party's national leaders will be invited to attend the event, which will mark the return of the national party to Karnataka after five years.
"Our national and party leaders will decide on the date and time of Yeddyurappa's oath-taking as the next Chief Minister in consultation with the Prime Minister's Office and Shah's office," said Shantaram.
Congress backs JD-S on government formation
The Congress on Tuesday said it had offered its backing to the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to form a government in Karnataka following a hung Assembly.
Party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the party had preliminary telephonic talk with both JD-S chief and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister. H.D. Kumaraswamy over government formation.
"They have accepted the offer," Azad said in the company of outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Assembly election took place on Saturday and the Bharatiya Janata Party finished as the single largest group in the 224-seat house. Two constituencies did not vote.
"We will meet the Governor and stake claim for government formation... Our numbers put together will be more than the BJP's," Azad said.
Karnataka people rejected divisive politics of Congress, says Sitharaman
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said people of Karnataka have rejected the "divisive, toxic and very negative" politics of Congress and voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development thrust.
Reacting to results which showed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) crossing the half-way mark, Sitharaman termed it a "historic day" for the party.
"The divisive, toxic and the very, very negative politics of the Congress party has been completely rejected and for which we owe a very big thank you to people of Karnataka. They did not go by the kind of polarisation the Congress wanted," the BJP leader said.
Sitharaman said people of Karnataka had recognised clear arguments of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah that development alone can lift all the sections of the society.
Referring to Modi's slogan of "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas," she said the people of Karnataka had favoured Prime Minister's call that Indian politics will have to be guided by development and this alone can remove many of the hurdles "which stop us from reaching higher levels".
BJP's CM face Yeddyurappa wins
BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa was elected to the Karnataka Assembly from Shikaripura by 35,397 votes, the Election Commission announced.
Yeddyurappa, 75, defeated Congress nominee Goni Malatesha and seven others in his home constituency. This was the Bharatiya Janta Party leader's eighth victory from Shikaripura since 1983. Yeddyurappa, the BJP's Lok Sabha MP from Shivamogga district, has lost only the 1999 Assembly election.
JD-S damaged Congress prospects: BJP
The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) caused more damage to the Congress than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) itself in the Karnataka Assembly election, BJP spokesman S. Shantaram said.??
Shantaram told IANS that heavy turnout in the old Mysuru region, Hassan and Tumakuru in the southern region - the traditional strongholds of the JD-S - suggested that the people voted against the Congress.
We accept the mandate of the people. We bow our heads to the verdict. We don't have numbers to form govt. The Congress has offered to support JD(S) to form govt: G. Parameshwara, Congress.
He said: "The people have decided to make Karnataka Congress 'mukt' as in the other states. The Congress loses wherever its President Rahul Gandhi campaigns. Karnataka is the latest proof."
Unlike Gandhi, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is able to connect with the people through hard work, performance and commitments. "The huge response to his 21 campaign rallies in six days is evidence of his immense popularity," said Shantaram.
The fact that Siddaramaiah is losing badly to JD-S in Chamundeshwari is evidence of the strong anti-incumbency against the Congress and its Chief Minister."
He said the Congress had failed to read the pulse of the people.
"The entire state Congress leadership, especially Siddaramaiah and G. Parameshawara, misled Gandhi on their government's non-performance and the so-called fulfilment of promises made in the 2013 poll manifesto."
BJP workers celebrate in Delhi
Celebrations broke out at the BJP headquarters in Delhi as the party appeared set to return to power in its southern bastion Karnataka. Bharatiya Janata Party workers dressed in party colours saffron and green celebrated by bursting crackers, distributing sweets and dancing to the tune of drums, outside the party office. There were congratulatory hugs amid loud cheers for party leaders.
The workers, who had come to the party office early in anticipation of a victory, assembled in large numbers outside the gates of the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg office. Many were armed with Holi colours.
Several BJP leaders, including Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, joined the celebrations.
The Congress, desperate to retain power in the state amid shrinking appeal nationally, suffered major blows and was ahead only in 62 seats, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah trailing in both the constituencies he contested: Badami and Chamundeshwari.
The Congress leader was way behind G.T Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal-Secular in Chamundeshwari, Election Commission officials said. And after leading initially, Siddaramaiah fell behind B.R. Sriramulu of the BJP in Badami.
In contrast, the BJP's Chief Ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa was ahead of his Congress rival by more than 11,000 votes in Shikaripura.
Energy Minister and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar said that the numbers indicated that his party was on the way out after five years in power.
Any party or grouping will need 113 of the total 224 seats to secure a majority in the Assembly. Polling did not take place in two constituencies on Saturday.
The BJP was overjoyed. "We are in a jubilant mood because we have crossed the half-way mark. We are confident of winning," spokesman S. Shantharam told IANS.
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.
BJP leader and Union Minister Sadanand Gowda said that there was no question of any alliance.
Union minister Prakash Javadekar, who is in charge of Karnataka, met BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Analysts said the BJP was leading in Lingayat dominated seats and the JD-S in Vokkaliga dominated areas.
Expectations of a BJP victory in Karnataka lifted the key Indian equity indices during the mid-morning trade session on Tuesday.
According to market observers, broadly subdued Asian indices and disappointing macro-economic inflation data points released on Monday capped some gains.
Sector-wise, healthy buying was witnessed in banking, capital goods, metals, consumer durables and automobile stocks.
The Sensex has so far touched a high of 35,993.53 points and a low of 35,498.83 points during the intra-day trade.
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