The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats but fell short of simple majority in the Karnataka election results declared on Tuesday. Of the 222 assembly constituencies which went to polls on May 12, the Congress won 78 while the Janata Dal (Secular) won 37 seats.
Also read: Interactive map of the Karnataka election results
Congress has extended unconditional support to the JD(S). Both the Congress-JD(S) combine and the BJP met governor Vajubhai Vala and staked claim to form government on Tuesday evening.
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9.45am: “I don’t know what they (BJP) are offering but they are trying to call our people, but they are not responding. We are all together, no one can touch our party. Our party MLAs are loyal to the party:”says JD(S)’ Saravana.
9.41am: “JD(S) has all the faith in their MLAs. Nobody is going to go away. Let BJP try whatever they want to,” says Ghulam Nabi Azad.
9.35am: This is not the first time Karnataka stares at a possible coalition government with two parties — in this case the Congress and the JD(S) — coming together to try and form a government in the state.
Read: A look at Karnataka’s tryst with rocky coalition governments
9.26am: “JD(S) and Congress have the numbers. I hope the governor will discharge his constitutional duties and invite HD Kumaraswamy to talk. If BJP puts pressure on the governor, it will be the death of democracy,” JD(S)’ Danish Ali tell ANI.
9.22am: Congress’ Ramalinga Reddy tells ANI,“We believe in all our MLAs. BJP is trying hard to get them. They don’t believe in democracy, BJP just wants power. All the people are happy, nobody is unhappy here.”
Reddy is home minister in the Siddaramaiah government. He won this election from the BTM Layout seat.
Read: How the Congress succeeded in changing headlines
9.18am: Siddaramaiah reaches the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office. “All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government,” he says.
9.15am: Congress’ DK Shivakumar says there is a plan to shift the party MLAs. “Yes definitely there is a plan. We have to safeguard our MLAs, We will let you know what is the plan,” he says.
“They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, we know that. Everyday there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy because two parties have the necessary number. People are watching this,” Shivakumar says.
9.10am: “The single largest party doesn’t have the numbers. BJP has 104, we (Congress and JD-S) have 117. Governor cannot take sides. Can a person who is there to save the Constitution destroy it too? The governor has to cut all its previous associations, be it BJP or RSS,” Ghulam Nabi Azad tells ANI.
9.04am: On being asked how BJP will get the numbers to form government, BJP’s Basavaraj Bommai says, “Political scenario will unfold in next 2-3 days. It depends on development in political parties. As of now, we aren’t approaching any individuals but politics is art of possibility.”
Bommai won from Shiggaon in the election.
8.59am: “I got a call from the BJP leaders. They said come to us and we’ll give a ministry to you. We’ll make you a minister. But, I’m going to stay here. HD Kumaraswamy is our chief minister,” says Amaregouda Linganagouda Patil Bayyapur of the Congress.
Bayyapur won from Kushtagi seat.
8.44pm: BJP’s KS Eshwarappa says,“There is no doubt we will form government, 100 per cent we’ll do that. Wait and watch. Results came out only yesterday. It has been only a day. See what can happen in Karnataka in a day.”
Eshwarappa won from Shivamogga constituency in the election.
8.37am: Congress general secretary and MP KC Venugopal and other Congress MLAs arrive at Karnataka Congress office for the party legislative meeting.
* The governor is said to have told both delegations BJP and the Congress-JD(S) delegations that he will take a decision once he receives communication from the election commission about the poll results.
* Siddaramaiah has called a meeting on Wednesday of the newly elected Congress and JD(S) MLAs will be there. “We are supporting JD(S) to form govt and have sent this resolution to the Governor. SC said after Goa election that group having more seats than required are invited, we have 117 seats, he said on Tuesday night.
* The BJP has also called a meeting of its newly-elected legislature party on Wednesday.
* Congress bagged a vote share of 38 per cent while the BJP got 36.2 per cent . The JD(S) finished third with a vote share of 18.3 per cent.
* Apart from the top three parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party both won one seat each.
* Results were declared for 222 of the 224 assembly seats, with voting in two constituencies countermanded.
Source: HindustanTimes