Karnataka election results 2023: Who are big winners and losers
What's the story
After nine hours of vote counting for the Karnataka Assembly election on Saturday, the Congress is racing toward an absolute victory with 114 seats and leading on 22 others. It is followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has bagged 52 seats and is leading on 12 seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) has won 17 seats and is leading in three constituencies.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The BJP is set to lose the only southern state in its grip as the Congress is headed toward a comfortable win. This election also set the stage for next year's Lok Sabha elections in which the Congress is trying to huddle other opposition parties together to oust the BJP and prevent it from clinching a third consecutive term at the Centre.
Turncoats
Jagadish Shettar loses, Laxman Savadi wins
Congress candidate Jagadish Shettar—former Karnataka CM and a prominent Lingayat leader—lost to the BJP's Mahesh Tenginakai in Hubli-Dharwad Central by a margin of more than 30,000 votes. However, the Congress's Laxman Savadi drubbed BJP's Mahesh Kumathalli in the Athani constituency with a comfortable margin of over 76,000 votes. Notably, both leaders switched over to the Congress from the BJP after being denied a ticket.
Details
Congress's DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Ashok Rai win
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar posted a resounding victory over BJP candidate and former state cabinet minister R Ashoka with a difference of more than 1.2 lakh votes in Kanakapura. Former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah won the Varuna seat by defeating the BJP's V Somanna by a margin of over 46,000 votes. Congress's Ashok Kumar Rai won the Puttur seat with 66,607 votes.
BJP
BJP bags Shimoga, JD(S) wins Shimoga Rural
CM Basavaraj Bommai routed Congress's Pathan Yasir Ahmed Khan to win in Shiggaon. BJP candidate and BS Yediyurappa's son BY Vijayendra won in Shikaripura by defeating independent candidate SP Nagarajagowda. BJP's Channabasappa won the Shimoga seat leaving behind Congress's HC Yogesh by over 27,000 votes. JD(S) candidate Sharada Puryanaik won from the Shimoga Rural seat by defeating BJP's KB Ashok Naik by 15,000 votes.
Seats
JD(S)'s Kumaraswamy wins, son Nikhil loses
BJP candidate Yashpal A Suvarna defeated Congress's Prasadraj Kanchan in Udupi with a margin of 32,000 votes. BJP candidate from Bengaluru's Mahalakshmi Layout, K Gopalaiah beat Congress's Keshavamurthy by a comfortable margin of over 51,000 votes while BJP's M Krishnappa won in Bengaluru South. JD(S) commander HD Kumaraswamy won in Channapatna, however, his son Nikhil lost to Congress's HA Iqbal Hussain in Ramnagar.