Karnataka results LIVE: BJP beats Congress, JDS, heads for simple majority in Assembly

Karnataka results LIVE: Karnataka bypoll results today: CM Yeddyurappa led BJP government's fate will be decided today as the counting of votes has started. Karnataka bypoll results will be declared soon as only a few seats are actually involved in the polling process, the mail elections having happened earlier amid much drama with JDS and Congress stealing the saffron party's thunder by having Kumaraswamy, son of former PM of India HD Deve Gowda, crowned as the CM, only to see him fall from the post in a few months due to defections of certain MLAs from his and Congress party. The counting of votes for the Karnataka`s bye-elections held on December 5 in 15 Assembly constituencies started on Monday. Karnataka bypoll results are crucial for the four-month-old Bharatiya Janata Party government in the southern state, as the ruling party requires at least seven seats in the 223-member Assembly for a simple majority, with 112 as the halfway mark. So, PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would be keenly watching as to what transpires in it and would be hoping the BJP government in this southern state is able to survive and that too with a large majority.

"Vote count in all the 15 Assembly segments began at 8:00 a.m. at 11 centres, including three in Bengaluru for four urban seats. Postal ballots are counted first, followed by counting of votes in EVMs," Election Commission official G. Jadiyappa told IANS here.

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12:40 am: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading for a simple majority in the 223-member Karnataka Assembly, as it surged ahead in 12 of the 15 constituencies where vote count is underway. "Our party is ahead of the opposition Congress in a dozen seats and trailing behind it only in two seats and an Independent in one seat after 10 rounds of vote count in all the 15 Assembly segments," BJP`s state unit spokesman G. Madusudhan told IANS here.

With 104 members excluding the Speaker and the support of an Independent, the ruling party has 105 seats in the Assembly, including one nominated from the Anglo-Indian community with voting rights.

"Our party`s strength alone will go up to 116, excluding the Speaker and 117 with the Independent, which will be 5 above the simple majority of 112 in the 223-member Assembly, with 2 seats vacant.

11:55 am: Surprisingly, Independent candidate Sharat Kumar Bachegowda is leading over BJP`s M.T.B Nagaraj in the prestigious Hosakote seat in Bengaluru Rural district. Sharat contested as an Independent after the BJP expelled him from the party for filing nomination against its official candidate Nagaraj who defected from the Congress, to retain it. Nagaraj is the richest candidate in the by-elections as he declared a whopping Rs 1,230 crore assets in his nomination affidavit.

11:49 am: Senior state Congress leader DK Shivakumar has said that the party accepts defeat as people have voted for the defectors. However, he added that there is no need for the Congress party to lose heart. "We have accepted defeat, as the people have accepted most of our defectors who joined the BJP and contested on its Lotus symbol from the seats they resigned and were later disqualified," Congress senior leader and party`s trouble-shooter D.K. Shivakumar told reporters here.

11:45 am: Big relief for Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa as BJP candidates lead in as many as 12 out of 15 seats.

10:40 am: Initial trends indicate that the ruling BJP government would continue in power in the southern state, a party official said on Monday. "Our candidates are leading in Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapur, Hirekuru, Vijayanagar, Chikkaballapur and Ranibennur," BJP state unit spokesman G. Madhusudan said.

10:35 am: Around 67.9 per cent (26 lakh) of the 38 lakh voters cast their ballot in the 15 constituencies to fill the vacancies caused by the resignation of 14 Congress and 3 Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and their subsequent disqualification by former Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar for defying their party whip.

8 of the semi-urban and rural areas recorded above 75 per cent voting and 4 seats in Bengaluru registering below 60 per cent.

Hosakote in Bengaluru Rural district recorded the highest voting percentage of 90.90, followed by Chikkaballapur 86.84, Hunsur 80.59, K.R. Pete 80.52, Hirekerur 79.03, Yellapur 77.53, Kagwad 76.24 and Athani 75.37.

The BJP and the opposition Congress contested in all the 15 Assembly seats, while the JD-S in 12 seats.

10:25 am: The BJP is leading in Athani, Kagwad, Yellapur, Hirekuru, Chikkaballapur, K. R. Pura, Ranibennur and Mahalakshmi Layout, while the Congress is leading in Shivajinagara and Hunasuru and the JD-S in KR Pete and Yeshwanthpur. 

10:00 am: Officially, BJP is leading in 8 of the 15 Assembly constituencies where counting of votes is underway since 8.00 a.m., an official revealed. "According to initial trends, the BJP is leading in 8 Assembly segments, while the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in two seats each," poll official G. Jadiyappa told IANS here.

9. 40 am: Yeddyurappa is expected to to get these seats for the BJP as about 8 seats are expected to go the saffron way. According to reports, BJP is leading in as many as 10 seats currently after establishing an early lead over JDS.

9.35 am: Before Yeddyurappa came to power the Congress-JD-S alliance government fell after the resignation of 14 Congress and three JD-S MLAs. All the rebel MLAS were disqualified by the previous Speaker and now the bypolls are being held in 15 seats as two seats are under litigation in the High Court.

BJP is upbeat and local exit polls in Karnataka predicted that the ruling BJP will win the majority of Thursday`s by-elections in 15 Assembly segments. Power TV, a Kannada news channel, has estimated a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 Assembly seats for the BJP. For Congress, it predicted three to six wins in the by-elections and 0 to two seats for Janata Dal (Secular).

BJP fielded all the rebel Congress and JD-S MPs who helped topple the JD-S-Congress government in the state. Though the party was plagued by cadre revolts on being denied tickets in certain constituencies, the party claims it was "small issue" and won`t affect the results.

While the BJP on record claims it will win all the seats, the party`s estimate keeps it anything above 10.

By-elections were held in 15 constituencies on December 5 in Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapura, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, Vijaynagara, Chikkaballapura, K.R. Pura, Yeshwanthpura, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagara, Hosakote, K.R. Pete and Hunsur Assembly seats.