As the counting of votes in the Lok Sabha polls began for 28 Lok Sabha segments in Karnataka, the BJP appears to be surging ahead with a clear lead in as many as 11 seats. Congress has been leading in four seats and the JD(S) in one.
JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Union minister Pralhad Joshi (BJP) were ahead in the Mandya and Dharwad Lok Sabha segments, respectively, reports news agency PTI. Tejaswi Surya leading from Bengaluru South.
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna, who is facing sexual allegation charges, is trailing from his seat. The JD(S) joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September last year and fought the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP, and is contesting in three seats—Mandya, Hassan and Kolar.
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 LIVE: Modi or INDIA bloc?
Karnataka is the most important state for the BJP in south India as it is the only seat in the region where the party held power. The BJP had swept the previous Lok Sabha elections, bagging 25 seats, while an independent backed by it also emerged victorious.
Congress reportedly has taken a lead in the Chitradurga and Davangere Lok Sabha seats.
The Lok Sabha elections were held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.
Some of the key candidates of the BJP who are awaiting results include Shobha Karandlaje, Tejasvi Surya, P.C. Mohan, C.N. Manjunath and Govind Karjol. D.K. Suresh, B.N. Chandrappa, Rajeev Gowda, Soumya Reddy, and K Jayaprakash Hegdea are some of the prominent Congress leaders awaiting results.
