Karnataka Election Result 2023: State Congress Chief D K Shivakumar Leading In Kanakapura By Over 20,500 Votes

Karnataka Election Result 2023: Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar is leading in Kanakapura by over 20,500 votes against his nearest rivals from the JD(S) and the BJP.

Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar leading in Kanakapura by over 20,500 votes

Source : PTI

Karnataka Election Result 2023: Karnataka Congress Chief D K Shivakumar is leading in Kanakapura by over 20,500 votes against JD(S) leader B Nagaraju and BJP leader and Minister R Ashoka. The counting of votes polled for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, which witnessed a fierce fight between archrivals BJP and the Congress besides the JD(S), began on Saturday as the parties are waiting with bated breath to know their fate over the possibility of a hung assembly. Any party looking to secure power in Karnataka will have to cross the halfway mark of 112. 

D K Shivakumar has secured 25,406 votes, B Nagaraju got 4,898 votes, and R Ashoka got 3,813 votes so far.

Source: https://results.eci.gov.in/

Notably, the Congress Legislature Party meeting is slated to happen on Sunday as the party expects to form a government in Karnataka, sources told ABP News. The party has booked a resort in Hyderabad. 

According to sources, Plan A is if Congress gets a clear majority, a new government will be formed as soon as possible. Under Plan B if there is no clear majority, MLAs will be taken to Hyderabad.

This comes as  poll trends show the Congress as returning to power with a clear majority as it is leading on 117 seats, followed by the BJP on 76 seats, JD(S) on 25, and Others on 6.

The electoral fortunes of top leaders -- Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP, Congress heavyweights Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, and JD(S)' HD Kumaraswamy, among many others will be known today.

Karnataka registered a "record" turnout of 73.19 per cent in the voting on May 10, to elect representatives to the 224-member Assembly.

With most exit polls predicting a tight contest between the Congress and BJP, leaders of the two parties seem "jittery" over the outcome, while the JD(S) appears to be expecting a hung verdict, which would enable it to play a role in government formation. Most pollsters have given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while also indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly in the state.

Having banked on the Modi juggernaut, the ruling BJP is looking to break a 38-year-old poll jinx where the people have never voted the incumbent party to power, while the Congress is hoping for a morale booster victory to give it a much-needed elbow room and momentum to position itself as the main opposition player in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It also remains to be seen whether former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) 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 past.

Like it has been the trend for about the last two decades, Karnataka witnessed a three-cornered contest, with a direct fight between the said parties in most of the constituencies.