Members Only
lock close icon

Karnataka Election Results: Buffering, CM’s Office to Go Full HD?

Live analysis of the Karnataka election results: What do the numbers mean?

Meghnad Bose & Mirza Arif Beg
Politics
Updated:
The Congress party has made its final bid to keep the BJP out of power in Karnataka, offering the chief ministerial post to the JD(S).
i
The Congress party has made its final bid to keep the BJP out of power in Karnataka, offering the chief ministerial post to the JD(S).
(Photo: The Quint)

advertisement

The Congress party has made its final bid to keep the BJP out of power in Karnataka, offering the chief ministerial post to the JD(S). Will the JD(S) turn out to be third and lucky? But Yeddyurappa has staked a claim to government too. So, will the Governor accept JD(S) and Cong's claim or BJP's?

Here are the leads:

  • BJP: 104
  • Cong: 78
  • JD(S): 37
  • BSP: 1
  • Cong + JD(S) = 115
  • Total number of MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly: 224
  • On 12 May, polling was conducted in 222 out of the 224 constituencies
  • Magic figure: 112

JD(S) Accepts Cong's Offer: What Does This Mean?

JD(S) has accepted the Congress’ offer for a post-poll alliance. The parties have met the Governor to stake their claim to government formation.

So could this man become the state’s next Chief Minister?

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy. (Photo: IANS)

The Deadlock, and a Race to the Governor's

Is a Congress-JD(S) government likely now?

Congress Offers CM Post to JD(S)

The Congress party has formally announced that they have offered the chief ministerial post to the JD(S). The two parties’ tally stands at 116 seats, 4 more than the magic number of 112 to form the government. The BJP is currently leading in 104 seats.

Siddaharamaiah to Resign at 4PM

Siddaharamaiah will tender his resignation to the Karnataka governor at 4 PM. There are speculations that the Congress and JD(S) might forge a post-poll alliance. Reports claim that the Congress is willing to give up on the chief ministerial post.

Congress ‘Reaches Out' to JD(S)

Media reports are claiming that the Congress has reached out to the JD(S) to form the government in Karnataka. However, BJP says it’s confident of forming the government on its own.

Brand Modi has Prevailed: Tavleen Singh Aroor

Modi and Shah micromanage elections. It’s the brand Modi that has prevailed. Yeddyurappa also played a crucial role in winning the state. This victory in Karnataka is going to give them the all-important push for the future elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Tavleen Singh Aroor, journalist

Not Surprised by Results: Purushottam Agarwal

I am not very surprised by the results. We should see this victory from a social perspective. India is seeing a social churning. The BJP is trying to replace an inclusive idea of India with a different idea of India. The BJP is seeing success in that direction.
Purushottam Agarwal, Political Analyst, Writer 

At 11:30 AM, With 2% More Vote Share, BJP Has 65% More Seats

BJP Gains 16% Vote Share

The Congress party has been able to guard its 2013 vote share of 37%, but the BJP has gained by 16%, taking its total share to above 36%. Even the JD(S) has added 2% to its earlier share of 20%.

BJP Supporters Celebrate Party's Huge Win

BJP Outplays Congress Again

LIVE: BJP Strikes a Century, Congress Bowled Out in Karnataka

BJP Leads in Muslim-dominated Seats

In 17 seats with over 30% Muslim population, the BJP is leading in 9 seats, followed by the Congress in 7, and JD(S) 1 seat. Experts opine that the Muslim vote might have been split between Congress and JD(S), giving the BJP an edge.

BJP Ahead in 114 Seats

The Bharatiya Janata Party, for the first time since morning, has crossed the magic number of 112. The saffron party is leading in 114 seats and is in pole position to form the government.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Congress Tally Halved in Mumbai Karnataka

The BJP has turned the tables on Congress in the Mumbai Karnataka region. The Congress party, which had won 30 seats in 2013, has lost almost half of its previous tally. The BJP is currently leading in 31 seats.

JD(S) Surprises Pollsters

While most exit polls threw up a hung verdict, the BJP seems to be making huge strides towards the magical figure of 113. None of the exit polls predicted more than 40 seats for the JD(S), but the Dewe Gowda-led party has taken everyone by surprise with its performance. The JD(S) is leading in 46 seats.

BJP or Congress? Close Race in Bengaluru

In urban Bengaluru, the Congress is leading in 11 seats, the BJP is ahead in 10, followed by the JD(S) that lead in 3 seats.

Will Karnataka Vote Congress Out of Power?

Early trends show that Karnataka is living up to its image of not voting an incumbent government back to power. However, it might be too early to suggest that Karnataka is voting the Congress out of power.

Karnataka Election Results Live: BJP Surge Ahead

Congress Leads in Dalit-Dominated Areas

In Dalit-dominated areas, the Congress currently leads in 11 seats, the JD(S) in 5, and the BJP in 3 seats. The Congress had, in 2013, won 17 of the 36 reserved seats while the JD(S) got 9, and the BJP 6.

Dalits account for around 24% of the electorate in Karnataka. That’s roughly one in every four voters.

Will Congress' Lingayat Gamble Not Pay Off?

In the months leading up to the election, the Siddaramaiah government granted the Lingayats the status of a separate religion. But could the move backfire for the Congress?

In 23 out of 67 Lingayat-dominated seats, the BJP leads in 15 seats, Congress in 6, and JD(S) in 2 seats. So far, leads would suggest that the Lingayat vote has stayed with the BJP and its CM face, BS Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat himself.

JD(S) Leads in Southern Karnataka

In southern Karnataka, the Janata Dal (Secular) leads in 16 seats, followed by the Congress in 12, and the BJP in 2 seats.

Parliamentarian Swapan Dasgupta tells CNN-News18 that in his opinion, the Congress campaign peaked too early in Karnataka, and when Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit back, he left an impact on the electorate.

At 8:30 am, It's Neck-and-Neck: BJP Ahead in 24 Seats, Congress Leads in 24!

Counting Begins!

Counting of votes has begun at 40 centres across Karnataka after the state went to polls in one of the most unpredictable state elections on Saturday last week. Billed as the vital precursor to the state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chattisgarh, Karnataka results are also expected to set the tone for the big showdown in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Can Siddaramaiah Create History?

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

From 1977 to 2018, that’s 41 years, only two Chief Ministers in Karnataka have completed a full term. SM Krishna from October 1999 to May 2004 and Siddaramaiah from May 2013 to May 2018.

Can Siddaramaiah create history by getting himself another term in the top job?

Siddaramaiah's Thorn with JD(S)

Siddaramaiah was the right-hand man of Deve Gowda until 2005. (Photo: PTI)

In 2004, back in the days when Siddaramaiah was a JD(S) leader, Deve Gowda got him appointed to the post of Deputy CM in Dharam Singh’s government. One year later, though, Deve Gowda had Siddaramaiah removed, seemingly to ensure that he would not pose a challenge to Kumaraswamy taking charge of the party.

Close to a decade later, Siddaramaiah went on to realise his ambition of becoming CM, though only after he jumped ship to the Congress.

His relationship with Deve Gowda has remained strained, and the fissures will come into focus again if Congress and JD(S) are to forge a post-poll alliance after the results today.

JD(S): Kingmaker-in-Waiting

On the campaign trail, the Congress has accused the JD(S) of being “Janata Dal (Sanghi)” but Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy know very well that they will be ‘Karnataka’s Most Desirable’ if neither the Congress nor the BJP can reach the magic figure of 113 in the 224-member Assembly.

The track record of the Janata Dal (Secular).(Photo: The Quint)

Yeddyurappa: Comeback King?

BS Yeddyurappa, hopeful of another shot at the chief ministership.(Photo: Twitter/@BSYBJP)

BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, was in the eye of a storm throughout the election campaign in Karnataka because of allegations of widespread corruption under his watch when he was the chief minister.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP by asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the BJP didn’t have a “cleaner face” than Yeddyurappa.

(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

Become a Member to unlock
  • Access to all paywalled content on site
  • Ad-free experience across The Quint
  • Early previews of our Special Projects
Continue

Published: 15 May 2018,07:42 AM IST

ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL FOR NEXT