JOIN USKarnataka Bypolls: BJP poised to secure majority
The ruling BJP in Karnataka appears to be headed towards securing a comfortable majority as the saffron party is leading in 12 out of the 15 constituencies for which bypolls were held last week.
If the trends convert into victory, the BJP’s number will go up from 105 to 117, which is well ahead of the halfway mark of 111 in a 222-member Assembly. With this, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will heave a sigh of relief.
Counting of votes is in progress and the Congress is leading in two seats and one Independent candidate looks poised for a win. The JD(S) is not leading in any of the seats, according to the Election Commission.
Going into the bypolls, the BJP employed a two-pronged narrative: The party sought votes for stability as the victory of the disqualified MLAs would prevent the state from staring at midterm polls. Second, Yediyurappa sought to consolidate the Veerashaiva-Lingayat votes, which seems to have worked.
The bypoll trends come as a setback to the Congress and the JD(S). The Congress was desperate for vengeance against the disqualified MLAs, whereas the JD(S) was looking to be relevant.