* The
BJP, whose election campaign in Karnataka was spearheaded by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, appears to be on course to form the government in Karnataka, with the
Congress settling at a distant second after initial rounds of counting. However, no party was close to the halfway mark required for a simple majority in the 224-member assembly. In the event of a hung house, the JD(S) may well play kingmaker.
Karnataka election 2018 results: Highlights
* As per initial vote count, BJP was leading in 119 seats. The Congress, which is hoping for a second consecutive term in power, was ahead in 55 seats. The third key player, JD(S), was up in 46 seats. Other parties and independent candidates were leading in two constituencies.
Live updates: Counting for Karnataka elections 2018
* The saffron party seemed to have retained its hold on the Lingayats despite populist measures by the Siddaramaiah government to gain the community's favour. BJP was leading in 36 consituencies where the Lingayats are dominant, whereas the Congress was ahead in only 16.
Elections with Times: Flavour of poll campaigns, ground mood
* The BJP-led Centre's delay in drafting the Cauvery management scheme may have cost it dearly. The party was trailing behind both JD(S) and Congress in Karanataka's southern region where the Cauvery dispute is a hot-button issue.
* In the tech hub of Greater Bengaluru, the BJP and Congress were neck-and-neck, with the former leading in 12 seats and the ruling party up in 11 seats.
Explore how Karnataka has voted in the past
* Chief minister Siddaramaiah was leading by a margin of 5,000 votes in Badami. However, he wasn't faring so well in Chamundeshwari constituency, where he was trailing main rival G T
Deve Gowda of the JD(S) by over 11,000.
* Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra, contesting from the Congress stronghold of Varuna, was leading over his rivals.
* The BJP's chief ministerial candidate, B S
Yeddyurappa, was ahead in Shikaripura by 3,420 votes over Congress candidate G B Malatesh.
* JD(S) party's Karnataka unit president
HD Kumaraswamy was leading over the Congress candidate Iqbal Husaain by over 7,000 votes in Ramanagara. He is also leading from the Channapatna seat.
* The counting of votes in the May 12 elections to 222 of the 224 assembly constituencies began at 8 am. Polling for R R Nagar seat was deferred on account of alleged electoral malpractices, while it was countermanded in Jayanagar seat following the death of the BJP candidate.
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