The exit polls revealed Wednesday evening, predicted mixed results, giving Congress an edge over the BJP.
Amid the ongoing vote counting for the Karnataka Assembly election of 2023, the Congress is prepared for a grand comeback, having breached the magic number of 113 seats as it won 10 seats and is leading at another 126 at present. The high-stake poll battle is crucial as the parties chalk out their strategies for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election as well.
The Congress president Kharge expressed gratitude to the people of Karnataka and promised to honour the public’s trust in the party. “I thank the people of Karnataka for giving a huge mandate to Congress. We will uphold their belief in us. We will implement all the welfare schemes we have announced in our manifesto. I thank Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi who campaigned even when she wasn’t well”, he said.

The BJP lost its only state in the south today, with Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai conceding defeat shortly after the Congress leads moved past 130 seats. The BJP is ahead on 60-plus seats and HD Kumaraswamy’s JD(S) in over 20 seats.
Conceding defeat, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters: “In spite of a lot of efforts put in by the Prime Minister and the BJP workers, we have not been able to make the mark. Once the full results come, we will do a detailed analysis… We take this result in our stride to come back in Lok Sabha elections.”
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said he is sure of the party crossing the 120 mark. There are reports that the party has booked several resorts to keep its flock together. It prompted a jibe from the BJP, which said the Congress “doesn’t trust its MLAs”.
Janata Dal Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy, whose party is leading in 20-plus seats, said, “I am a small party, there is no demand for me I am hoping for a good development”. The JDS was expected to be a kingmaker in case of hung assembly – a possibility a majority of exit polls had predicted.
In the 2018 elections, the BJP had won 104 seats, the Congress 80 and the JDS 37 in Karnataka. The BJP’s BS Yediyurappa formed government but resigned before a majority test. Then, the Congress and the JDS formed a coalition government. The coalition government lasted 14 months after which 16 MLAs switched to the BJP, toppling the government and bringing the BJP back in power.
The Congress gains have hugely cheered the opposition. “The message from Karnataka is that the ‘end’ of BJP’s negative, communal, corrupt, rich-oriented, anti-women-youth, social-divisive, false propaganda, individualistic politics has begun,” tweeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.