Countdown begins: Counting of votes for K'taka elections tomorrow

BENGALURU: After much political effervescence in the tightly-contested assembly elections in politically crucial Karnataka, all eyes are on the counting of votes on Saturday when the results will be declared.

According to the Election Commission (EC), Karnataka recorded a 73.19 per cent voter turnout in the May 10 assembly elections, the highest-ever voter turnout in the southern state.

Polling was held across 58,545 polling stations to elect the members in the 224-seat Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

The majority mark needed to form the government is 113. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai exuded confidence in Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) return to power in Karnataka.

"There is no chance of a hung Assembly, we are going to form the government comfortably. Let him (DK Shivakumar) be happy with his 141 seats till tomorrow. We will have a legislature party meeting to decide the Chief Ministerial face," Chief Minister Bommai told reporters on Friday.

A day before the counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday held a key meeting with top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from the state.

The meeting was held at the residence of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Friday held a meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Bengaluru.

"Exit polls have their own theory. We do not go by those samples, my sample size is too high and in that, we will have a comfortable majority. I do not know about JDS, let them take their own call. I do not have any backup plan, my only plan is that the Congress party will come to power," told ANI. Congress general secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said that BJP's defeat in Karnataka will open Delhi's door for Congress in 2024.

"Congress' victory in Karnataka is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's defeat because no one campaigned in Karnataka except him. After (BJP's) Karnataka's defeat, Delhi's door is open for Congress in 2024. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we were there for 27 days in Karnataka and visited seven districts. We do not have any doubt. We will get majority votes. We have promised five guarantees in our manifesto and because of these guarantees Congress is guaranteed to win," said Jairam Ramesh.