The counting of votes is underway in Karnataka.
The counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly polls is underway, and the early leads over all 224 seats are out. The Election Commission of India has declared the party-wise vote share of all parties until 9 a.m. today.
The Indian National Congress is leading with a maximum vote share of 43.2%, followed by the BJP at 41.6%. JD (S) has gotten around 9.49% of the votes after one hour of counting.
The Mallikarjun Kharge-led Congress party was leading in 120 seats and the BJP in 79, while the JDS is ahead in 23 seats.
The JD(S), led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, gained an early lead in 21 segments.
However, after a high-decibel campaign during which all three key players in the fray-the incumbent BJP, the Congress, and the Janata Dal (Secular)-went at each other and pulled out stops and heavyweight campaigners to woo voters, the verdict in the battle for the Karnataka Assembly now rests with the people's court, and results will be out in a few hours.
This Assembly election carried much significance as it was held almost a year before the 2024 general elections.
Karnataka has never brought the incumbent back to power since 1985, and the BJP would be hoping to do a first as it bids to return in the southern state.
Legislative Assembly elections were held in Karnataka on May 10, 2023, to elect all 224 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
The voting passed off peacefully in Karnataka, with the highest ever voting turnout of 73.19 percent, surpassing the 72.36 percent recorded in 2018.
(With inputs from agencies)