Karnataka Assembly results: BJP wins, set to form next government

Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party is racing ahead of the Congress in Karnataka and is set to get a clear majority to form the state’s next government. Karnataka is the only southern state the BJP has ruled before it ceded power to the Congress last term.

Leads put out by the Election Commission of India on the Karnataka Assembly results show BJP way ahead of the Congress with 110 seats to the incumbent party's 56, while the JD(S) led in 38 seats. Counting is on in 222 constituencies of the 224-seat Assembly. Voting was not held in two seats. Any party that touches 112 will get the clean majority to form government.

The trends have rubbished all exit polls which predicted a tight race between the two main rivals — BJP and Congress — in the Karnataka Assembly elections with the JD(S) emerging as a likely kingmaker. BJP is clearly racing towards forming the state's next government.