Karnataka Election Result: BS Bommai Reacts As BJP Concedes Defeat

It may be recalled that the Karnataka election was being seen as the litmus test for BS Bommai's leadership.

According to initial trends, the BJP is losing in its stronghold of North Karnataka.

Outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister BS Bommai today conceded defeat saying that the party will look into the factors that led to this result. He said that the party will work to come back stronger in the Lok Sabha polls to be held next year. Speaking to the media after the trends showed a clear majority for the Congress. While the majority mark is 113, the Congress was heading towards winning over 120 seats, thus getting a clear majority on its own.

"We've not been able to make the mark. Once the results come we will do a detailed analysis. As a national party, we will not only analyse but also see what deficiencies and gaps were left at various levels. We take this result in our stride, will reorganise our party and comeback during Lok Sabha elections," said Basavaraj Bommai.

It may be recalled that the election was being seen as the litmus test for BS Bommai's leadership. Bommai was made chief minister in 2021 after the ouster of BS Yeddiyurappa. While Bommai also belongs to the Lingayat community, the BJP failed to do better in the regions dominated by the Lingayatas. 

According to initial trends, the BJP is losing in its stronghold of North Karnataka. Hubbali-Central Dharwad is a strong BJP, RSS fiefdom and it is difficult to unsettle the party in this area. In the Athani constituency in Belagavi district, former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka Laxman Savudi is leading who left the BJP to join Congress.

In many other seats of Belagavi, Uttar Kannada, Gadag, Haveri, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, and Dharwad the Jagadish Shettar effect seems to have worked for the Congress and in many of these seats the BJP was trailing Congress. Shettar left BJP to join Congress after he was denied a ticket.