Bangalore: The BJP was on Wednesday decimated in the Karnataka Assembly Elections with Congress set to form a government, may be on its own, wresting power after a gap of seven years. The BJP's southern fort where it came to power for the first time in 2008 crumbled and the party is pushed to the third position behind JD(S).
Exploiting the split in BJP and the spoiler's role played by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, the Congress is ahead in 96 of the 223 constituencies that went to polls and has already won 19 seats.
The JD(S) led by HD Deve Gowda won three seats and was ahead in 38 seats while the BJP bagged three and is leading in 34 seats. The fledgling Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) floated by Yeddyurappa after his exit from BJP was leading only in nine seats while independents and others were ahead in 15 seats.
In the 224-member house, 113 seats would be required for majority. Polling was held in 223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district put off to May 28 following death of BJP candidate.
Significantly, KJP has damaged the prospects of the BJP in many constituencies, eating into its votes. The Congress appeared set to for a clean sweep in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, a traditional BJP stronghold. But it was the JDS of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda which was the surprise package of the polls, faring better than expected.
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