Congress is leading in 119 seats out of 223 seats where the early leads are available as of 9:30 a.m. with many BJP stalwarts trailing in the state, while JD(S) is visibly reduced to 20 seats with both HD Kumaraswamy and his son, both trailing in their respective seats.
The countdown for the 2023 state Assembly election results began at 8 am across 36 centres in Karnataka. The strong rooms were opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday and the process of counting will begin at 8 a.m. amid elaborate security arrangements.
The authorities have clamped curfew orders in the capital city Bengaluru and communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada district to avoid untoward incidents and maintain law and order situation. The election results are crucial for the two national parties - BJP and Congress - as well as for the state party JD(S).
The Assembly poll in the state is said to be the semi-finals for the Lok Sabha elections as it will set the tone for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
