Counting of votes for Karnataka Assembly polls begins

Counting of votes polled in the high stakes Karnataka Assembly election which witnessed a fierce fight between archrivals BJP and the Congress was taken up across the state on Saturday with a clear picture on the outcome likely to emerge by middayThe counting began at 8 am in 36 centres across the state amid elaborate security arrangements in place especially in and around the counting centres to avoid any untoward incidents official sources saidTop state leadersChief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Congress Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy are contesting from different seatsThe State registered a record turnout of 7319 per cent in the voting on May 10 for the 224 member AssemblyAlso Read Karnataka CM rejects exit poll results giving Congress edge over BJPWith most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and BJP leaders of the two parties seem jittery over the outcome while the JDS appears to be expecting a hung verdict which would enable it to play a role in government formationMost pollsters have given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP while also indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly in the stateThe BJP has banked on the Modi juggernaut to swing the voters towards it and is looking to break a 38yearold poll jinx where the state has never voted the incumbent party to powerThe Congress on the other hand is eyeing a morale booster victory to give itself a muchneeded elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha electionsIt also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowdaled JDS will emerge as a kingmaker or a king by holding the key to government formation in the event of a hung verdict as it has done in the pastKeeping in lines with the two decade old trend Karnataka witnessed yet another threecornered electoral contest this time as well with a direct fight between the BJP Congress and JDS in most of the constituenciesThe Aam Aadmi Party AAP which is in power in Delhi and Punjab has also fielded candidates Also there were some smaller parties in the fray in a few constituenciesA government with full majority was the strong pitch of the leaders of all the political parties during campaigning as they stressed on getting a clear mandate to form a strong and stable government unlike what happened after the 2018 polls The BJP had then emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats followed by Congress with 80 seats and JDS at 37 There was also one independent member while the BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party KPJP got one legislator each electedIn the 2018 elections the Congress garnered a voteshare of 3804 per cent followed by the BJP 3622 per cent and the JDS 1836 per centWith no party getting a clear majority then and as Congress and JDS were trying to forge an alliance BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa staked claim and formed the government that was shortlived It was dissolved within three days ahead of a trust vote as Yediyurappa was unable to muster the required numbersSubsequently the CongressJDS alliance formed the government with Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister but the wobbly dispensation collapsed in 14 months triggered by the resignation of 17 ruling coalition MLAs They defected to the BJP and facilitated its return to power In the bypolls held subsequently in 2019 the ruling party won 12 out of 15 seats giving the much needed stability to the governmentIn the outgoing Assembly the ruling BJP has 116 MLAs followed by the Congress at 69 JDS 29 BSP one independents two speaker one and vacant six following deaths and resignations to join other parties ahead of the pollsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever