Bangalore:
The verdict is in. Karnataka has given a handsome mandate to the Congress to form the state's next government. The ruling BJP has been resolutely packed off, and the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) has made significant gains. BS Yeddyurappa's fledgling Karnataka Janata Party or KJP has won just half a dozen seats, but managed to deal a severe blow to the BJP, eating substantially into its vote share.
The final tally gives the Congress 121 seats, comfortably over the majority mark of 113. A front-runner for the Chief Minister's post, K Siddaramaiah, said, "We are thankful to the people of Karnataka for giving a clear majority. We will give a corruption-free, stable, able government." But it is not a done deal yet for him. There are other contenders for the top post like Mallikarjun Kharge and RV Deshpande.
As the Congress celebrated, the BJP's Jagadish Shettar handed his resignation to the Governor and said, "What image we lost earlier, that continued... Allegations against ministers, Chief Ministers were in the minds of the people."
JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said his party will "fight against Congress like we fought against BJP... We will sit in the Opposition."
BS Yeddyurappa has not emerged from his home since the results were known. He won his election from Shikaripura, but some of his closest aides, all senior leaders who had walked out of the BJP with him, lost.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We paid the price because we said, 'Sorry Mr Yeddyurappa, you cannot continue.' The coming state elections in five states will be ours - from tomorrow, the countdown starts."
The mandate for change comes from all corners of the state, including capital Bangalore, where young voters gave top billing to improved infrastructure and development.