Bangalore: Cong set to form govt, BJP faces rout as JDS gains

Indian Express

Bangalore, 08 May 2013: The BJP was today decimated in the Karnataka Assembly elections with Congress set to form a government, may be on its own, wresting power after a gap of seven years.

 

The Congress, as expected prior to the polls, has primarily dented the BJP’s tally. In trends available till 11 AM for 221 of the 223 seats that went to polls on May 5 looked in a position to win around 112 seats, just one short of the 113 magic figure.

 

The election results from Karnataka is set to reflect a strong anti-incumbency current against the first BJP government in south India. At 11 AM, the party was tottering at a figure of 38 which is a loss of 72 seats from the 2008 polls.

 

 

The JDS of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda was the other party to make significant gains especially in the south of Karnataka. The party is set to increase its tally from 28 seats in the region to 40 seats.

 

Among the key leaders on losing wickets in the early trends was former BJP state president K S Eshwarappa who is battling the combined might of the Congress and the KJP in B S Yeddyurappa’s home town of Shimoga.

 

Key Congress leader G Parameshwara is in the middle of a see-saw battle to in Koratagere while another leader Siddaramaiah had established a more comfortable lead in the Varuna constituency.

 

In the 224-member house, 113 seats would be required for majority. Polling was held in 223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district put off to May 28 following the death of a BJP candidate.

 

Significantly, KJP has damaged the prospects of the BJP in many constituencies, eating into its votes.

 

The Congress appeared set to for a clean sweep in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, a traditional BJP stronghold.