Congress takes back Karnataka on its own after 10 years with 136 seats

The Congress party registered a sweeping victory in Karnataka and marked its way for return to power while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a setback, losing the assembly elections and failing to break the 38-year-old jinx. The grand old party won 136 seats in the 224-member assembly while the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) grabbed 65 and 19 seats. The Congress party banked upon its 5 guarantees to the people whereas the BJP fought on its agenda of development, and tried to gain mileage on issues such as Bajrang Dal, scrapping 4 per cent Muslim reservation among others.   

Making an emotional appeal to voters in his home turf on the last day of campaigning, Mallikarjun Kharge



had asked them to take pride in the fact that he as a "bhoomi putra" of Karnataka had been made AICC president, and sought a win for the Congress in that name.

Many party leaders credit Khage for the win mainly for camping in the state and mentoring the party at every level in the run-up to polls.

"I want to tell (PM Narendra) Modi now that I'm the 'bhoomi putra' (son of the soil) of Karnataka and Gulbarga (Kalaburagi). The right you have in Gujarat, I have here and I should get it. You have done nothing for my place, but I'm asking after working for my region. What have you done to seek votes here?" Kharge said addressing a campaign rally in Kalaburagi earlier this week.