Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is set to wrest power from the Congress party in the southern state of Karnataka, a win that will give his ruling party momentum going into the 2019 general election.
The BJP was leading in 117 seats in the 224-member assembly, according to the television channel NDTV 24x7. The Congress party, which has governed Karnataka for the last five years, was ahead in 59 seats, it said. Regional party Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 44 seats. A party needs 112 seats for a majority in the state assembly.
It demonstrates the BJP has popular support outside its traditional base of support in north and western India, said Pratyush Rao, associate director for India and South Asia at Control Risks, a consultancy.
After the defeat in Karnataka, a state of more than 61 million people, Congress is left with just Punjab, apart from the small hill state of Mizoram and federally-administered Puducherry. If the BJP forms the government in Karnataka, it will control 21 states with alliance partners out of 29, a record for the party. The BJP and Congress will next fight in December elections in three key states currently ruled by the BJP -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The BJP was leading in 117 seats in the 224-member assembly, according to the television channel NDTV 24x7. The Congress party, which has governed Karnataka for the last five years, was ahead in 59 seats, it said. Regional party Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 44 seats. A party needs 112 seats for a majority in the state assembly.
It demonstrates the BJP has popular support outside its traditional base of support in north and western India, said Pratyush Rao, associate director for India and South Asia at Control Risks, a consultancy.
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After the defeat in Karnataka, a state of more than 61 million people, Congress is left with just Punjab, apart from the small hill state of Mizoram and federally-administered Puducherry. If the BJP forms the government in Karnataka, it will control 21 states with alliance partners out of 29, a record for the party. The BJP and Congress will next fight in December elections in three key states currently ruled by the BJP -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
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