Karnataka Election: Independents, Small Parties Win Four Seats As Congress Registers Thumping Victory

<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong> As the Congress registered a thumping victory in the Karnataka Assembly Elections with 136 seats, BJP, that had put up a close contest, came a distant second with 65 seats after the results to the 224-member House were announced on Saturday. JD(S), which hoped to play kingmaker, bagged 19 seats.</p> <p>Independent candidates KH Puttaswamy Gowda won from Gauribidanur with a margin of 37,286 votes against Congress&rsquo; NH Shivashankara Reddy, and Latha Mallikarjun won from Harapanahalli seat with a margin of 13,845 votes against BJP&rsquo;s G Karunakara Reddy. Also, Darshan Puttannaiah of Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won from Melukote with a margin of 10,862 votes against JD(S) candidate CS Putturaju and G Janardhan Reddy of Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha won from Gangawati seat defeating Congress&rsquo; Iqbal Ansari by 8,266 votes.</p> <p>Karnataka has 224 constituencies spanning six regions -- Bengaluru, Central, Coastal, Hyderabad-Karnataka, Mumbai-Karnataka, and Southern Karnataka or Old Mysore region. Mumbai-Karnataka and Southern Karnataka are the largest regions of the state and consist of 50 and 51 Assembly seats respectively. &nbsp;</p> <p>Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the party's impressive performance in the Karnataka election is the victory of "Janata Janardhan". He confirmed that all newly-elected MLAs have been asked to come to Bengaluru in the evening and once 'High Command' sends observers, other processes will follow.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar got emotional as he thanked the party cadres for the important victory. He also informed that all newly-elected MLAs asked to come to Bengaluru this evening, "Once 'High Command' sends observers, other processes will follow", PTI reported.</p> <p>Karnataka registered a "record" turnout of 73.19 per cent in the voting on May 10.</p> <p>Notably, the results assume significance as the BJP has now lost its foothold in the south and will face a tough challenge in the upcoming Telangana election.</p> <p>For the Congress, the Karnataka result will give it a much-needed boost in two of the only three states it holds power now and where elections are due later this year -- Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The victory will also give the Congress bragging rights as the party tries to cobble together like-minded Opposition parties to form some sort of an anti-BJP front to take on the PM Modi juggernaut in the Lok Sabha election next year.</p>

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