Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy says have stopped Modi's Ashwamedha horse: Updates

H D Kumaraswamy's swearing-in as Karnataka chief minister saw a show of strength by a galaxy of Opposition leaders who are looking to unite in a bid to take on Narendra Modi in 2019.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress alliance has succeeded in "tying" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ashwamedha horse (victory horse) in Karnataka, insinuating that the Modi-Amit Shah duo's electoral juggernaut has been halted. On Wednesday, Kumaraswamy was sworn in as the 25th chief minister of Karnataka in a ceremony in Bengaluru that brought together anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (anti-BJP) regional and Opposition parties on a single platform ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.



"I had said after the Uttar Pradesh election results came out that my aim is to tie the Ashwamedha horse of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah (BJP President). Today, both Congress and JD(S), together, have tied their Ashwamedha horse in Karnataka," said Kumaraswamy , adding, "Probably, in the days to come, Amit Shah has to go to Narendra Modi with lifeless Ashwamedha horse, as we have tied their horse."



The swearing-in ceremony, which also saw Congress' G Parameshwara sworn in as Karnataka deputy chief minister, showcased rare scenes of bonhomie between United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, Nationalist Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India Member of Parliament D Raja, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav, and former Union minister Sharad Yadav.



The BJP, for its part, decided to abstain from attending the swearing-in ceremony despite seven of its leaders, including former chief ministers Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar and S M Krishna, Union minister Ananth Kumar, and officiating Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah, being invited. The BJP emerged as the single largest party after the May 12 Assembly elections and had formed a government with B S Yeddyurappa as the chief minister that lasted for all of three days. Yeddyurappa said they were boycotting the event as BJP was observing a "black day" across the state.

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Yeddyurappa takes oath as Karnataka Chief Minister: Top 10 developments

In a joint petition in Supreme Court, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had sought a stay on the oath-taking taking ceremony of BJP's chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B S Yeddyurappa took oath as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka  on Thursday after the Supreme Court, in a post-midnight hearing, decided not to put a stay on the swearing-in.

Top BJP leaders, including Union Ministers JP Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar were present at Raj Bhavan in Karnataka during the swearing-in ceremony.

Earlier, while hearing a plea filed by Congress, the Supreme Court refused to stall the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa .

The court, however, made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.

The top court sought the letters which Yeddyurappa had written to Karnataka Governor informing him his election as BJP legislature party and posted the matter for further hearing at 10.30 am on Friday.

In a midnight legal push, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) had approached the Supreme Court seeking an immediate intervention by the chief justice to stay the move, which it termed as an "encounter of the Constitution".

The Congress urged Chief Justice Dipak Misra to hold an urgent hearing on Wednesday night itself since Yeddyurappa is slated to take oath as chief minister at 9 am on Thursday.

In a joint petition, the two parties had sought a stay on the oath-taking taking ceremony of BJP's chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa.

The Governor on Wednesday invited Yeddyurappa to form the government, as the saffron party has emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats. Along with one independent MLA, the BJP has staked the claim at forming the government.

However, they are still short of the halfway mark of 112 by seven MLAs.

Whereas Congress-JD(S) alliance has 115 MLAs, just above the halfway mark.

"BJP has 104 seats, how will they prove majority on floor, even if they get some independent MLAs? Only way out is to bring Congress and JD(S) MLAs with them, either by using muscle power or buying MLAs. We have filed a petition urging Governor to give us a chance," Javed, lawyer of the JD(S) and Congress, told ANI.

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BJP vs Congress-JD(S): Karnataka's fate now in Governor's hands; highlights

As the fate of politics in Karnataka hangs in balance, the key lies in the fact as to who Governor invites to formally form the government first.

As counting for Karnataka Assembly polls has ended, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 103 seats and is leading is one, emerging as the single largest party. The Congress party stood on the second position with 78 seats, while former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) party bagged 37 seats. Apart from this, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party and independents won one seat each.

The  Karnataka Assembly election results threw up an unexpected suspense today, as a simple majority tantalisingly eluded BJP and the Congress quickly proclaimed support to third-placed JD(S) to keep the saffron party out of power. As the results of the poll in the state have left Karnataka Assembly in hung, the final decision will be taken by Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.

All eyes are now on Governor Vajubhai Vala who will have to decide whether to call BJP, the single largest winner of seats, to try to form the government or go with the JD(S)-Congress combine, which together have a clear majority in the 224-member Assembly. Elections were held for 222 seats on May 12. Both sides rushed to meet Vala, their vehicles slowly cutting through the throngs of party workers and supporters assembled outside the Raj Bhavan gates, and staked claim to power.

Elections in Karnataka were held at 222 out of 224 seats, on May 12. A party or an alliance needs 112 seats to form the government in Karnataka.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.

The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. "Postal ballots will be counted first before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are opened," Kumar said.

Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker if there is a hung Assembly.

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Karnataka election results: JD(S) accepts Cong's alliance offer; updates

The Karnataka Assembly polls verdict is a short way off as the BJP looks set to fall short of a majority on its own and the Congress makes a bid to lend support to the JD(S)

The Karnataka Assembly election 2018 result is close to being known as vote counting is underway on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally blitz in the state poised to pay off. According to official Election Commission figures as of 14:17 pm, the BJP was leading in 70 seats and had won 36 seats, the Congress was leading in 65 seats and had won nine, the Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 35 seats and had won four, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party had won one seat, the Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in one seat, and the independents were leading in one seat.

According to official Election Commission trends as of 12.50 pm, the BJP was leading in 104 seats and had won four seats, the Congress was leading in 69 seats and had won one, the Janata Dal (Secular) was leading in 40 seats, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party was leading in one, the Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in one, and the independents were leading in one seat.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.

The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. "Postal ballots will be counted first before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are opened," Kumar said.

Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker if there is a hung Assembly.

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Karnataka verdict a blow to Congress' dream of challenging Modi in 2019

The Congress has led the BJP in terms of vote share by over a percentage point, but the latter has maximised its winnings in its areas of influence.

On the cusp of delivering a crushing defeat to the Congress in Karnataka Assembly election 2018 , the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday was on course to emerge as the largest single party in the state. But the 110-seat halfway mark of the 222 constituencies that went to the polls on Saturday was still eluding the party at the time of filing of this report. Elections to the remaining two seats will be held on May 28.
Interestingly, the Congress led the BJP in terms of vote share by over a percentage point. But, the BJP maximised its winnings in its areas of influence. If the Congress’ vote share was 38 per cent, the BJP's was 36.7 per cent.
The Janata Dal (Secular) proved that prophecies of its demise were premature. The JD(S) was on course to match its 2013 tally of 40 seats, and its vote share was 17.7 per cent, two percentage points less than in 2013. But, with BJP inching towards the majority mark, it seemed the JD (S) could have lost the opportunity to play the kingmaker.
Some of the ministers in the Siddaramaiah government were trailing, including the chief minister himself in one of the two seats in which he contested. He was trailing JD(S)'s G T Deve Gowda by over 27,000 votes in Chamundeshwari, and his defeat looked imminent. He was leading in Badami, the second seat that he contested, by 3,000 votes. The trend of some of the ministers losing suggested that there was anti-incumbency against individual legislators in the Siddaramaiah government, if not the government itself.
A Congress defeat in Karnataka would deal a blow to the hopes the party nurses to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha. The Congress would try to recover some lost ground for the final battle when the Assembly elections to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram take place in November-December.

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Karnataka Election results LIVE updates: Siddaramaiah's lingayat card fails

Karnataka election result 2018 LIVE updates: With Narendra Modi wave still riding high, trends show BJP snatching another state from Congress.

Karnataka Election Result LIVE updates: With Modi wave still riding high, the Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) on Tuesday forged ahead leading in 121 seats while the ruling Congress was leading in 59 constituencies in the Karnataka Assembly polls, according to trends. JD(S) was leading in forty seats by 11.00 am. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was ahead in the Badami assembly constituency in north Karnataka, but trailing in Chamundeshwari in his home town Mysuru by over 11,000 votes against his main rival G T Deve Gowda of the JD(S). The BJP's chief ministerial candidate, B S Yeddyurappa, was ahead in Shikaripura, and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy in Ramanagara. Prominent among those trailing include ministers Ramamnatha Rai from Bantwal and H C Mahadevappa from T Narasipura, the sources said. Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa from Shivamogga, senior most candidate in the electoral fray and minister Kagodu Timmappa from Sagara and the chief minister's son, Yatindra, from Varuna were also leading over their rivals.

Karnataka election has been billed as the biggest political battle of 2018. The Bharatiya Janata Party 's(BJP's) bid to reclaim the state has faced its toughest challenge from one man - chief minister Siddaramaiah, who looks to beat incumbency. Who will Karnataka pick? The voters have decided and the entire nation will know the Karnataka election 2018 result today.

Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.

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Karnataka election results 2018: Counting begins; top 10 developments

Karnataka election result 2018  will be declared today. Backing the exit polls, the Satta Bazaar is of the opinion that Modi wave is still intact and is betting big on a BJP win. LIVE updates

The high-stakes battle for Karnataka in 222 Assembly constituencies ended on Saturday and India will soon know the Karnataka Assembly election 2018  verdict. The counting of votes began at 8 am on Tuesday. According to the procedure, postal ballots are being counted first. Initial trends are expected to be in by 9 am. "All arrangements have been made for counting of votes in 222 seats from 8 am onwards at 38 centres in 30 districts, including five in Bengaluru where polling was held in 26 of the 28 segments," Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) electorate cast their votes, with 27,908 electors in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots.

The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. "Postal ballots will be counted first before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are opened," Kumar said.

The Karnataka election has been billed as the biggest political battle of 2018. The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) bid to reclaim Karnataka has faced its toughest challenge from one man -- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is looking to beat incumbency.

Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker if there is a hung Assembly.

A win for the Congress would boost the party's morale for the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram in November-December, and for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It would also ensure that the party would not be reduced to ruling only one big state, that of Punjab, in the entire country. Apart from Punjab, Congress has governments in only Puducherry and Mizoram.

No government in Karnataka, since the Ramakrishna Hegde-led Janata Party one in 1985, has been re-elected.

Satta bazaar bets big on BJP: The satta bazaar is shortening the odds on a BJP win in Karnataka, even though a third party may eventually feature in the victorious combine. According to the Economic Times, bookies expect the BJP to win 96-98 seats in the Karnataka Assembly, while the Congress may get 85-87 seats. In market parlance, this means bid price is 96 or 85, while the ask price is 98 or 87.

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Karnataka election: Campaigning ends today; voter ID row continues; updates

With Karnataka Assembly election 2018 now on their heads, the BJP and Congress have just one more day to convince and woo voters. Catch all the updates around the Karnataka election here.

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Eyeing to sweep the crucial polls, the political parties will hold multiple rallies today in their last attempt to woo the voter. For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress President Rahul Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day.
Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Gandhi, the Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.
The last day of campaigning for the Karnataka polls comes after Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Gandhi were face-to-face in the state on the second last day for the campaigning. Working seriously on his 'Congress Mukt Bharat' mission, Modi used all of his oratory skills to lambast the Congress in his four election rallies on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gandhi said in his Basavanagudi rally that the people of Karnataka would reject Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. The Congress president also attacked the Prime Minister for being silent on the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities.
The election in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in 223 constituencies, out of the 224 constituencies of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while the counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.

Here are the top developments regarding the May 12 Karnataka Assembly election 2018:

1)Last day of Karnataka polls campaigning today: The high-voltage campaigning for the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. The campaign has seen Modi, Shah, Adityanath, Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders square off against Congress chief Gandhi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Siddaramaiah, with both parties going hammer and tongs at each other over who has neglected farmers more and who has more corrupt candidates in the fray, among other topics of contention.

2) Amit Shah, Yeddyurappa roadshow today in Siddaramaiah's constituency: From the BJP, Amit Shah and Yeddyurappa on Thursday will participate in a roadshow in chief minister Siddaramaiah's Badami constituency. The roadshow will commence at 11.30 am from Basaveshwara circle to Ambedkar circle.

3) Amit Shah press conference today: Later in the day, Amit Shah will address a press conference at 4 pm in Bengaluru.

4) Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramiah addressing media today: Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Siddaramiah, PCC President G Parmeshwara, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, Campaign Committee Chairman D K Shivakumar, and other senior leaders, will address a press conference today at 10 am at The Lalit Ashok Hotel, in Bengaluru.

5)'Prime Minister vs aspiring prime minister': Modi and Gandhi on Wednesday were face-to-face in Karnataka on the second last day for the campaigning, in what one news agency described as the Prime Minister and aspiring prime minister squaring off.

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