Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 Results: Prakash Javadekar likely to visit Bengaluru as BJP surges ahead of Congress

New Delhi: BJP, which appears to have reached very close to the halfway mark of 112 to be able to form government in 225-member Karnataka Assembly – the results for which are being counted on Tuesday – is expected to send its senior leaders, including Prakash Javadekar, to Bengaluru to take stock of the situation.

According to reports, Prakash Javadekar, who is the Union Human Resources Development Minister, is likely to go to Bengaluru. 

He is the party in-charge of Karnataka and had a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah at his residence this morning.

The BJP dramatically surged ahead towards the victory mark in the Karnataka Assembly elections 2018 on Tuesday, leaving the ruling Congress badly bruised and the JD(S) at the third spot, according to the trends after initial rounds of vote counting.

Reports from counting centres across the southern state showed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates were on the winning track in 105 constituencies while the Congress was in the lead in 70. A total of 222 constituencies voted on Saturday.

Any party or alliance will require 113 of the total 224 seats to secure a majority in the Assembly. The Janata Dal-Secular of former Prime Minister H.D. Dewe Gowda, which has been expected to play the role of a kingmaker in the event of a hung Assembly, was leading in 43 seats when the results last came in.

As the vote count progressed, BJP leaders became assertive, saying they were confident of taking power again in their only southern bastion. At the same time, Congress leaders began to speak about the possibility of an alliance with the JD(S).

BJP leader and Union Minister Sadanand Gowda said that there was no question of any alliance with the JD(S) as his party was headed towards a clear majority.

Analysts said the BJP was leading in Lingayat dominated seats and the JD(S) in Vokkaliga dominated areas. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was leading in Badami constituency and trailing in Chamundeshwari. 

The BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa was on the victory lap in Shikaripura constituency.

"We will win with a majority," BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said earlier.

The Congress was open to an alliance with the JD-S, party leader Ashok Gehlot said, as the party's top leaders met in New Delhi.