The Congress was striding forward with leads in 118 seats while the BJP was ahead in 74 in Karnataka as votes were counted on Saturday for an election widely seen as a litmus test for both parties ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls.
With a much-needed victory tantalisingly close in the crucial southern state, early celebrations broke out at the opposition Congress headquarters in Bengaluru and Delhi.
BJP leaders, hoping to break a 38-year jinx of Karnataka not voting an incumbent to power, looked at a possible loss but waited till counting ended to analyse why and how. By 11 am, trends for all the 224 seats in the state were known.
At 118 seats, the Congress was a notch ahead of the magic number of 113, while the BJP was looking at the 74 mark. The Janata Dal-S (JD-S), hoping to become kingmaker, was leading in 25 seats.
While many in the BJP said it was too early to call the election, Congress workers and leaders, desperately looking to reverse its electoral fortunes and position itself as the main opposition player in 2024, were jubilant.
Congress leader Siddaramaiah said, "This is a message for the BJP. Please stick to issues that matter to everyday lives of India and don't try to divide India."
With a possible win on the horizon, his colleague Shama Mohammed echoed him and hundreds of party workers who danced to the beat of drums and burst crackers in jubilation. "The Bharat Jodo Yatra made a lot of difference," she said, referring to the Kanyakumari to Kashmir campaign headed by Rahul Gandhi who walked some 3,000 km over three months. Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai described result day as a big day for Karnataka.
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