Bengaluru: After recording highest-ever voter turnout of 73.19 per cent to the 224-member Karnataka assembly on May 10, Karnataka is ready for the counting of votes on Saturday.
The fate of Karnataka Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai, and Congress heavyweights – Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, besides JDS candidate HD Kumaraswamy would be known after they had put their weight behind their candidates during election campaigning.
The counting will commence at 8 am in 36 centres across Karnataka, and by the middle of the day a clear picture on the results would emerge.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Karnataka to maintain law and order, according to official sources.
In the 2018 election, BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats, followed by Congress with 80 seats and JDS 37. Remaining seats were shared by an Independent, BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janata Party.
Then, the Congress had secured a vote-share of 38.04 per cent, followed by the BJP (36.22 per cent) and the JDS (18.36 per cent).
Since the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, BS Yediyurappa stake claim and formed the government, but the assembly was dissolved within three days, ahead of a trust vote, as the saffron party strongman was unable to muster the required numbers.
Subsequently, Congress-JDS formed a coalition government with Kumaraswamy as chief minister, but the unstable rule fell in 14 months after 17 MLAs from Congress and JDS resigned and joined BJP. This paved way for the BJP to return to power.
In the bypolls held subsequently in 2019, the BJP won 12 out of 15 seats.
