Karnataka poll Results highlights: BJP wins Jayanagar, defeats Cong by 16 votes

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's grandson and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy's son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy is trailing Ramanagram constituency.

In Channapatna, Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is leading against BJP's CP Yogeshwara.

State minister and BJP leader V Somanna who was fielded from two constituencies both in Varuna and Chamarajanagar, is trailing on both seats.

Congress' Tanveer Sait, who the party fielded from Narasimharaja, is leading against BJP's S Satheesh Swamy.

Congress' Ramalinga Reddy is leading against BJP's KR Sridhara in the BTM Layout constituency.

Congress leader Laxman Savadi, who was earlier in the BJP and quit the party after being denied a ticket, is leading from the Athani constituency against BJP's Mahesh Kumathalli.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge, who was pitted against BJP's Manikanta Rathod from the Chittapur constituency, won by a margin of 13,640 votes

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is leading from Kanakapura against BJP's R Ashoka and is poised to win with a big margin.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who is contesting from the Shiggaon constituency, is leading against Congress' Pathan Yasirahmedkhan.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the BJP’s attempts to polarise the polls proved futile.

“I congratulate our national president Mallikarjun Kharge ji, Rahul ji, Priyanka ji, Sonia ji and all party leaders and workers and Karnataka leadership. At a time when the BJP is trying to heavily polarise, the people of Karnataka have given their verdict. It has clarified that ‘Bajrangbali’ (Lord Hanuman) is with Congress” he said.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "I thank the people of Karnataka for giving a huge mandate to Congress. We will uphold their belief in us. We will implement all the welfare schemes we have announced in our manifesto. I thank Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi who campaigned even when she wasn't well."

The election in Karnataka is the first of five crucial state polls this year- seen as an indicator of voter sentiment ahead of national elections next year.

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa reflected on the party's defeat in Karnataka election saying, “Victory and defeat aren't new to BJP. Party workers need not be panicked by these results. We will introspect about the party's setback. I respectfully accept this verdict.”

Karnataka is the second state that the BJP has lost to the Congress in the last six months. In December, the Congress unseated BJP in Himachal Pradesh.

The Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' entered Karnataka on September 30 at Gundlupet in Chamarajanagara district. The yatra passed through Chamarajanagara, Mysuru, Mandya, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Bellary and Raichur, traversing a distance of over 500 kms in about 22 days in Karnataka.

Senior Congress party leader P Chidambaram said, “Warm congratulations and sincere thanks to the people of Karnataka for delivering a decisive verdict. This election was more than an election to a state assembly. It was about upholding the fundamental values of the Indian Constitution and stopping the damage done by supremacist theories, discrimination and prejudice.”

AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge termed Congress' good show in the Karnataka Assembly polls as a victory of "Janata Janardhana", saying people have voted "furiously" against BJP's "bad administration" in the state. 

"We have sent a message to everyone (newly elected persons) to come by this evening. They all will come here by this evening and once they come, they will be instructed on the due course. After that, the high command will send observers (and) after that the due processes (for government formation) will follow," he said. 

"People themselves have got up and supported us, they have voted for us furiously against the bad administration. This shows voters of Karnataka are awakened. Despite the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), Home Minister (Amit Shah), dozens of Ministers, Chief Ministers of other states camping here, and despite manpower, money and muscle being used, people have unitedly voted for Congress," he added. 

In terms of vote share, Congress got 43 per cent, BJP 36 per cent and JD(S) 13.2 per cent.

The race for the Chief Minister post was the one issue most discussed around the Congress party. Both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah announced themselves to be the CM faces of the party in early 2022. 

But…

Something changed. In November 2022, the leaders took out a joint bus rally in the state as per the plan of the Congress high command. Then, they were seen together during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

The lack of controversy over the CM’s face may have worked for the Congress. 

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the assembly election trends from Karnataka that project a Congress victory send the message that the "end" of the BJP's negative, communal and corrupt politics has begun.

“The message from Karnataka is that the 'antkaal (end)' of the BJP's negative, communal, corrupt, pro-rich, anti-women, anti-youth, socially divisive, propaganda, individual-centric politics has begun,” Akhilesh Yadav said.

Ahead of the elections, the Congress offered a series of welfare schemes. The four promises so far include stipends for unemployed youth, ₹2,000 payments for women heads of families, 200 units of free electricity, and ten kilograms of rice for the poor.

“Prices have skyrocketed and the income of the common man has not increased if not gone down. It has become difficult for people to sustain. That is why we want to introduce these schemes; it is our responsibility to ease their burden and certainly, people will appreciate it,” DK Shivakumar said. 

The Congress, which till last year was seen as a tired and unenthusiastic, launched the '40% Sarkara' campaign- a reference to allegations by Karnataka Contractors’ Association, claiming that BJP leaders and officials take 40% of the tender amount as a bribe for state-funded infrastructure projects.

Congress also started the 'PayCM' campaign which is a wordplay on digital payments firm PayTM. 

Exit of veteran leaders like Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi may have hit the BJP in Karnataka. Both Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi are prominent faces of the Linagayat community that forms 17% of the electorate and is wooed by parties for the clout it wields.

Janata Dal’s (Secular) leader and the grandson of former PM Devegowda, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who was running for the Ramanagara constituency, was at the second spot with 47,891 votes with 39.5 percentage.

Outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “In spite of a lot of efforts put in by PM and BJP workers, we've not been able to make the mark. Once the full results come we'll do a detailed analysis. We take this result in our stride to come back in Lok Sabha elections.”