Karnataka Election Result 2023 Live: Who will Congress choose - Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar?

The Congress returned to power on its own in Karnataka after 10 years, knocking the BJP off its only southern perch on Saturday as voters decisively backed the grand old party desperately seeking electoral revival ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress won 136 of the 224 assembly seats in the state, comfortably over the magic number of 113. The BJP won 65 seats, a sharp drop from its tally of 104 in 2018. The JDS won 19 seats, down from 37 last time.

But the question that arises now is - who will get the chief minister's post? Will it be Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar?

Rahul Gandhi: There was crony capitalism but Congress stood with the people and won this battle

Basavaraj Bommai: we have been unable to make a mark despite efforts by PM Modi and our workers. Congress has been able to make a mark. 

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. (PTI)

Congress asks all its MLAs to reach Bengaluru tomorrow for a meeting at noon as the party crosses majority mark

BJP is leading in 15 municipal corporations, 53 municipal councils and 37 Nagar Panchayat seats, as per trends. Voting was held for 17 municipal corporations

Congress crosses majority mark of 113 in early leads

Apart from results of the Karnataka Assembly Election, the results of bypolls in many key parliamentary as well as state assembly seats will be announced today.

Votes are being counted for by-elections in Jalandhar parliamentary constituency in Punjab and assembly constituencies of Chhanbey and Suar in Uttar Pradesh, Jharsuguda in Odisha, and Sohiong in Meghalaya.

Along with this, votes for Uttar Pradesh civic body elections are being counted today, and mayors for 17 municipal corporations will be decided.

Counting for Karnataka assembly elections begins

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka has said that the BJP has a 'Plan B' to form a government in the state in case they do not secure a majority in the Assembly election. 

Speaking to India Today, the BJP leader did not reveal the specifics of the contingency plan but said that they have 'done this twice in Karnataka'.

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 results of the Karnataka Assembly elections to be announced today, here's what the exit polls predicted.