Karnataka by-polls counting: Congress accepts defeat, BJP govt survives

BJP is all set to retain power as it looks to sweep the by-polls in Karnataka. The Congress has conceded defeat and party leader DK Shivakumar told the media that the Congress accepts the mandate of the people. He added that the party is not disheartened by the results and also said that by-elections are different from general elections. The by-polls were necessitated after the resignation of 17 Congress & JDS MLAs which led to the fall of the Kumaraswamy led government in the state. The Supreme Court last month upheld the disqualification of the 17 even as it allowed them to contest the bypolls.