Karnataka Results 2023: 'King Cong' Wins 136 Seats As BJP's Fortunes Go South. Key Points

Karnataka Election Results 2023: Congress's victory, the second under its new president and 'bhoomi putra' of Karnataka Mallikarjun Kharge, comes as a big boost ahead of polls in 5 more states.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivkumar ( Image Source :PTI )

The Congress secured a thumping victory on its own in Karnataka after 10 years, winning 136 seats and defeating the BJP in the only state it was in power in southern India. The BJP came a distant second, winning 65 seats, a sharp drop from the 104 seats it won in 2018, while the JD(S), which hoped to play kingmaker, bagged 19 seats.

Congress's victory, the second under its new president and "bhoomi putra" of Karnataka Mallikarjun Kharge, set off celebrations across the country, with some workers turning up at party offices dressed as Lord Hanuman and chanting "Bajrang Bali ki Jai".

This comes as BJP's ploy to raise the pitch in the last stretch of campaigning over the Congress manifesto promising the strictest action against outfits such as the Bajrang Dal to corner the grand old party failed to cut ice with the voters. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the Congress over it, calling it an "insult to Hanuman and His devotees".

The victory will also give the Congress bragging rights as the party tries to cobble together like-minded Opposition parties to form some sort of an anti-BJP front to take on the PM Modi juggernaut in the Lok Sabha election next year.

Congress workers celebrate at the party office in Lucknow (Source: PTI)

Karnataka Election Results: Congress Secures Thumping Victory

• The BJP's vote share slipped from 36.22 in the last assembly election to 35.8 per cent, according to Election Commission of India trends. The Congress’ vote share has gone up from 38.04 per cent to 42.94 per cent.
• Karnataka maintained its 38-year trend of never voting the incumbent party to power since 1985. This is the grand old party's best performance in Karnataka since 1989, when the Congress won 178 seats.
• The results come as a big boost to the Congress ahead of elections due in five more states this year — Telangana, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
  

  

  Congress supporters celebrate the party's good show in Karnataka Assembly polls at the Rajiv Bhawan, in Guwahati (Source: PTI)

• The Muslim vote, which accounted for nearly 13 per cent of the electorate, seems to have consolidated in favour of Congress.
• The focus for Congress now shifts on who will become the Chief Minister. According to sources, Congress is working out a formula to split the tenure of the Chief Minister between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.
• "I am happy we contested the Karnataka polls without using hate, bad language. We fought the polls with love. In Karnataka, the market of hate ('nafrat ka bazaar’) has closed down and shops of love ('mohabbat ki dukaanein') opened," said Rahul Gandhi.
• Outgoing CM Basavaraj Bommai conceded defeat and vowed to came back stronger in the Lok Sabha election. "We will take result in our stride, we will reorganize the party and come back in Lok Sabha election," he said.
• Despite a stellar performance by Congress, the defeat of BJP turncoat and heavyweight Jagadish Shettar stood out. Jagadish Shettar, a former Chief Minister and Lingayat leader, lost to BJP's Mahesh Tenginakai by 34,289 votes.
• Making corruption a central campaign theme and promise of free rice, power and employment dole are among the factors that likely contributed to the Congress's good performance.
• The performance of former CM Deve Gowda's JD(S) in this Assembly election is its worst performance since 1999 (only 10 seats won in 1999). The party has secured only 19 seats this year, down from the 37 seats it won in 2018.