Karnataka Election Results LIVE: BJP Leader Accuses Congress of Tapping Phones; All Eyes on Governor Now

Hotel or wherever we go, MLAs will stay together and discuss things. Congress is compelled to keep its MLAs together because of the horse-trading going on: Ashok Gehlot at KPCC, Bengaluru #KarnatakaElectionResults2018 pic.twitter.com/EuyyyYqVLz

— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2018

Hotel or wherever we go, MLAs will stay together and discuss things. Congress is compelled to keep its MLAs together because of the horse-trading going on: Ashok Gehlot at KPCC, Bengaluru.

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot: Governor should have called us when we have even elected our leader. We haven’t got the invitation while BJP is doing horse trading.

Congress MLAs leave from the party office in Bengaluru and are most likely headed for a resort.

Bengaluru: Congress MLAs leave from Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office #KarnatakaElectionResults2018 pic.twitter.com/rd38Ypklrx

— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2018

Congress would again hold a press conference in Delhi as it rallies its MLAs in Karnataka along with JDS's MLAs in a show of strength in front of the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru.

Congress' Court Option | The Congress is likely to move court if Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala does not invite the JD(S)-Congress combine to form a government, party sources said today. They said inviting the combine would be in accordance with tradition and constitutional and legal provisions. The party is preparing the ground to move court in case of a negative response from the Raj Bhavan. "We have staked our claim for formation of a government as we have the numbers as also the total vote share of over 56 per cent," added a senior party leader. "All options remain open to the Congress, "the party's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said.

BSY Oath Tomorrow? BJP insiders suggest, Governor Vajubhai Vala may invite BS Yeddyurappa to take oath tomorrow at 12:20pm and that BSY is waiting for a fax from Raj Bhavan.

When the BJP formed the government at the Centre in 2014 and Modi finally ascended the high seat in Delhi, Vala was rewarded for keeping the BJP fortress intact and was made the Governor of Karnataka.

MLAs' protest outside Raj Bhavan sometime ago. As sources say, now, they are headed towards respective resorts to wait for a word from the governor.

JDS workers protest against BJP outside Governor house in Bengaluru #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/w0lWO0dmTd

— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2018

Governor has assured us that he will take action as per the Constitution. We have full faith in him that he will not do injustice. We have our numbers, not even a single member has moved out. We will not allow any such thing to happen: DK Shivakumar, Congress

BJP has 104, Congress-JDS may have majority to form the govt, politics in the state has become dirty. The way power is being misused to put pressure on MLAs, use of ED, I-T &other agencies and allegations of Rs 100 crore being offered to MLAs, all this has become a face of our democracy globally: Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut

A History of Hung Assemblies | Like the Karnataka election, a number of assembly polls in the last few years threw up a fractured mandate and the BJP invariably emerged as the party which- either leading an alliance or being a junior partner- was given the first opportunity by respective governors to form government. In states like Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, the Congress won the largest number of seats and also staked claim before the respective governor to form government but the BJP managed to secure a majority there with post-poll alliances and their leaders were sworn in as chief ministers.

Outgoing Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah tweets, “Dear Brothers & Sisters of Karnataka, I thank you for your verdict. It has been an honour to serve you as Chief Minister for the past 5 years. I am confident the Congress Party & the new Government we form, will continue to work for the best interests of our state & our people.”

These are the three possibilities which BJP could be exploring amidst the current impasse.

"Fuel prices remained stagnant for 19 days and have started rising again. What is surprising is that government has now resumed daily price revision of fuel right after Karnataka elections 2018 came to an end. How did government manage to keep prices stable for 19 days?," Ashok Gehlot said in a statement.

Amid intense jockeying for power in Karnataka, Congress national general secretary Ashok Gehlot hit out today at the BJP saying that fuel prices that remained stagnant for 19 days have started rising again after Karnataka election result. After a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus, petrol price was hiked on May 14 by 17 paise a litre and diesel by 21 paise as PSU oil firms began passing on the spike witnessed in international rates to consumers.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today slammed outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of encouraging horse-trading in the state, saying the Congress should understand that the mandate of the people is against it. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the Karnataka elections were a no-ordinary affair as Siddaramaiah lost in one constituency and "scraped through" in the other.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi got together to decide that these results had thrown up an opportunity to send a message to other opposition parties that Congress had the fighting spirit and that they all would have to come together to take on the BJP.

JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy: We hope the governor abides by the Constitution and gives the correct direction. The future course of action will be decided after that. All our candidates are safe, none of them are for sale.

JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy speaks after G Parameshwara’s address, says, "We have submitted the copies of our resolutions to the governor. He has received the letters from both the parties. All 117 MLAs have signed our letter of support. He has assured us that he will get back to us. But now the ball is in the governor’s court.”

G Parameshwara: Governor has promised us he will take a decision after consulting with legal experts and looking at the Supreme Court order and the precedents set in other states. The governor would come to a conclusion after consulting with legal experts. (TV grab)

JDS-Cong Media Address | After a meeting with the governor, G Parameshwara, with Kumaraswamy by his side, says, "This morning at the legislature party meeting of Congress, we took a decision that we will support the JDS and this decision has been conveyed to governor in form of a letter."

Massive chaos outside the Raj Bhavan in area as Kumaraswamy, Moily and other senior leaders of both JDS and Congress come out after meeting the government and are about to speak to the media.

Congress says leaders G Parameshwara, Ramlinga Reddy, DK Shivakumar, KJ George have gone inside Raj Bhavan along with JDS’ Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna.

Congress MLA Byrathi Basavaraj says, "All 78 MLAs are with us. No one has gone to the BJP. In fact, all former Reddy companions are also with us." The party claims it also has the support of 2 Indepependent MLAs, one of who had sided with the BJP in the morning.

Congress MLA Nagendra says "I am not quitting the party. 80,000 people have voted for me. No question of going back to BJP". Nagendra earlier belonged to the Reddy brothers’ camp. Nagendra met Siddaramaiah this afternoon after he went "missing" for some time.

Interestingly, BJP has never managed to get a higher vote share than the Congress in Karnataka.

Congress MLAs have also reached the Governor's House along with other senior leaders of the party like Veerappa Moily and Ashok Gehlot. JDS MLAs led by HD Kumaraswamy had already reached the premises but were not allowed to get through the gates.

BJP Alleges Phone Tapping | Senior BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje: We got to know from agencies that many information are getting leaked, we have complained to home minister. Our phones are being tapped. We have written to the Home Minister and DGP about this.

Senior BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje: Karnataka Congress is playing dirty politics, they are tapping our phones. No party has got majority that’s why they are playing dirty politics.