Congress on Wednesday stormed back to power in Karnataka in a spectacular fashion after seven years in its old southern bastion decimating the ruling BJP whose fate was sealed by a fractious split and corruption charges.

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BJP, which was wrecked by a split forced by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on top of a series of corruption cases, tied for the second place with JD(S) with both securing 40 seats each.

Final results:

Party Seats
Congress 122
BJP 39
JDS 41
KJP 7

Others

 20

The Congress victory immediately triggered a Chief Ministerial race into which OBC leader Siddaramaiah and Dalit leader and Central Minister Mallikarjun Kharge threw their hat. Other leaders like M Veerappa Moily, a former Chief Minister, cannot also be ruled out, analysts say.

The shock defeat of KPCC chief G Parameshwara virtually eliminated him from the race for chief ministership.

The Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP), which spoiled BJP's party, could not do much for itself as it bagged only six seats.

The BSR-Congress, led by former BJP Minister Sriramulu, considered close to the Bellary brothers, also chipped away BJP votes and ended up with four seats.

The rout of BJP, whose rule saw ugly infights, three Chief Ministers and several ministers tainted by corruption charges, was complete as it was clobbered by the electorate who pushed it to a pathetic position of sharing the second place with JDS of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. Both BJP and JDS secured 40 seats each.

A three-way split in its voter base put paid to BJP's hopes of securing a renewed mandate, bringing down its only citadel in the South.

Yeddyurappa's twin agenda of decimating BJP and emerging a kingmaker remained half-complete as he succeeded in one but failed to make an impressive debut through his nascent outfit securing only six seats out of 216 it contested.

Several heavyweights, including Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central), Yeddyurappa (Shikharipura), Siddaramaiah (Varuna) and H D Kumaraswamy (Ramnagaram) , won from their constituencies but Parameshwara (Koratagere) lost heavily.

Kumaraswamy's wife Anita and Yeddyurappa's confidant Shobha Karandlaje suffered defeats from Channapatna and Rajaji Nagar respectively.

Twelve ministers of the Shettar Cabinet, including Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa, fell by the wayside, rubbing salt into the wounds of the vanquished BJP.

C P Yogeeshwara, who quit the Jagadish Shettar Ministry, towards the end of the tenure of the Government and contested on Samajwadi Party ticket, won from Channapata, defeating Anitha Kumaraswamy (JDS) by nearly 6,500 votes.

For the BJP, the worst was in store in its heartland in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, while it failed miserably to keep its base in tact in Bombay Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka regions that gave electoral muscle.

As expected, JDS maintained its hold in the Vokkaliga belt while making some gains beyond its traditional support base that fetched it 12 more seats than 28 it won in the last elections. With a clear cut verdict, JDS' hopes of playing the role of a kingmaker have also been dashed.

Polling was held in 223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district put off to May 28 following death of BJP candidate.

BJP's performance in its own strongholds was pathetic, reflected in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi where its defeat was near complete as also in Yeddyurappa's home district of Shimoga and Bellary.

Eshwarappa's loss in Shimoga is all the more significant as he was a former state unit President of the party and also held the key portfolios of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Revenue. He was in the "hit-list" of Yeddyurappa, who now had the "sweet revenge".

Another big gun to lose was Industries Minister Murugesh R Nirani, who spearheaded two global investors meet, and was in two minds till the last minute whether to join forces with the KJP but eventually continued to be in the BJP, in Bilgi.

Congress candidate and former Union Civil Aviation Minister C M Ibrahim was pushed to third position in Bhadrawati.

In the 2008 polls, the BJP had secured 110 seats, Congress 80, JDS 28 and Independents six. Falling short of numbers, the BJP had formed government with the support of independents and wooed Opposition MLAs who were made to resign and recontest on the BJP ticket that gave it stability of numbers.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who won a fifth term from Hubli-Dharwad central, said he accepted the people's verdict and submitted resignation to Governor H R Bhardwaj who asked him to continue till alternate arrangements are made.

Making no bones about his ambition, Siddaramaiah declared himself as a "strong contender" for the chief minister's post.

Kharge said "If they (high command) think that I am fit for the post, then it is up to them to take a decision. I will abide by any decision the high command takes".

Constituency: ArabhaviCandidate Party votesBalachandra Laxmanrao Jarkiholi: BJP 99283 (elected) Utagi Ramappa Kareppa : Cong 24062Latur Suresh mahalingappa: KJP 11445Gurappa kallappa hittanagi: JD(S) 3081Constituency - BabaleshwarCandidate Party VotesM.B.Patil: Cong 62061 (Elected) Patil Vijugouda: JD (S) 57706 M.S.Rurdragouda: BJP 4067 Basappa S. Honawad: KJP 2646Constituency- BantvalCandidate Party VotesB.Ramanatha Rai: Cong 81665 (Elected) Rajesh Naik Ulipady: BJP 63815Advocate Abdul Majid: SDPI 6113 Krishnappa Poojary Kalladka: JD(S) 1927 Constituency - Belgaum DakshinCandidate Party VotesSambhaji Lakshman Patil : IND 54426 (Elected) Abhay Patil : BJP 48116Anil M.Potdar : Cong 20536S M. Dodamani: KJP 5597 Basavaraj Shrishailappa Javali: JD(S) 1324Constituency: BellaryCandidate party votesB. Sreeramulu: (BSRCP) 74854 (Elected) Asundi Vannurappa: Cong 41560Meenalli Tayanna: JD(S) 3958 Hulugappa Ponnuru: BJP 2478Pandu Byalachinte KJP 2347Constituency - BelthangadyCandidate Party votes K Vasantha Bangera : Cong 74530 (Elected) Ranjan G Gowda : BJP 58789B.M. Rhat : CPI(M) 4532 Rajashree S. Hegde JD(S) 2682Constituency- BTM layoutCandidate party votesRamalingareddy: Congress 69712 (Elected) N. Sudhakar: BJP 20664 J. Ramesh Reddy: JD(S) 8346 Srinivasa: KJP 1902Constituency- BasavanagudiCandidate party votes Ravi Subramanyam : BJP 43883 (Elected) K.Bagegowda : JD(S) 24163 B.K.Chandrashekar : Cong 21588 Ravikiran: KJP 1741Constituency- BhadravatiCandidate Party VotesAppaji. M.J: JD (S) 78370 (Elected) B.K.Sangameshwara : IND 34271 C.M. Ibrahim: Cong 22329 S.B.Shivaji Rao Sindhya: BJP 1779Constituency- BhatkalCandidate Party VotesMankala Subba Vaidya : IND 37319 (Elected) Enayathullah Shabandri: JD(S) 27435 Shivanand N.Naik : KJP 26657 J.D. Naik : Cong 21766 Govinda Jattappa Naik: BJP 14791Constituency- Bijapur CityCandidate Party votesMakbul S Bagawan: Cong 48615 (Elected) Basanagouda R Patil(Yatnal): JD(S) 39235 Appasaheb (appu) Mallappa Pattanashetti: BJP 26235 Karibasavaraj BasavarajNagur (Babu): KJP 1054 Constituency - Chamarajacandidate party votesVasu Cong 41930 (elected)H S Shankaralinge Gowda JD(S) 29015 Nagendra BJP 26168Shabbir Mohammed Musthafa SDPI 4601Aruna Gowda M (KJP) 4399Constituency - Chamarajanagarcandidate party votesC Pputtarangashetty Cong 54440 (elected) K R Mallikarjunappa KJP 43244Vatal Nagaraj KCVP 18408R P Nanjundaswamy BSP 9278Constituency - Chickpetcandidate party votesR V Devraj Cong 44714Uday B Garudachar BJP 31655M C Narayana Gowda JD(S) 24382Mujahid Pasha A SDPI 4821Khamar Taj KJP 953Constituency- Chikmagalurcandidate party votesC T Ravi BJP 58683 (elected)K S Shanthe Gowda Cong 47695S L Ddharme Gowda JD(S) 24913K B Vedamurthy KJP 3541Constituency - Chiknayakanhallicandidate party votesC B Sureshbabu j JD(S) 60759 (elected) J C Madhuswamy KJP 49620K S Kirana Kumar BJP 29150Sathish Sasalu Cong 10344.Constituency- ChintamaniCandidate Party VotesJ.K Krishnareddy : JD(S) 69030 (Elected) Dr. M.C. Sudhakar IND 67257Vani Krishnareddy : Cong 12685 Sathyanarayana Mahesh: BJP 1936Constituency - ChitradurgaCandidate Party VotesG.H.Thippareddy: BJP 62228 (Elected) Basavarajan (Basanna): JD(S) 35510 G.S.Manjunatha: Cong 30729 Fayazuddin. K.S: BSRCP 23382Constituency - Davanagere (North)Candidate Party VotesS S Mallikarjuna: Cong 88101 (Elected) S A Ravindranath: BJP 30821Jagadish B S: KJP 6764 T Ganesha Dasakariyappa: JD(S) 3537Constituency - DevadurgaCandidate Party VotesA.Venkatesh Naik: Cong 62070 (Elected) Arakera K Shivanagouda Nayak: BJP 58370Shanth Gowda: KJP 2747 Anjala Channanagouda: BSRCP 2158Constituency - DevanahalliCandidate Party VotesPilla Munishamappa: JD(S) 70323 (Elected) Venkataswamy : Cong 68381 G. Chandranna: BJP 9418Venkatesh P: BSP 1283Constituency - Doddaballapurcandidate party votesT Venkataramanaiah (Appakaranahalli T Venkatesh) Cong 38877 (elected)B Munegowda IND 37430C Channigappa JD(S) 34628J Narashimaswamy BJP 32753V Nagendra Prasad KJP 1517Constituency- Gauribidanurcandidate party votesN H Shivashankara Reddy Cong 49831 (elected) K Jaipala Reddy IND 44058N M Ravinarayana Reddy BJP 31837S V Ashwathanarayana Reddy JD(S) 11578 Constituency - Gubbicandidate party votesS R Shrinivas (Vasu) JD(S) 58783 (elected) G N Bettaswamy KJP 51539Honnagirigowda Cong 18548Nataraja Sagaranahally BJP 2396Constituency - Gundlupetcandidate party votesH S Mahadeva Prasad Cong 73723 (elected) C S Niranjanakumar KJP 66048Nagendra BSP 6052B P Muddumallu j JD(S) 4017Constituency - Hadagallicandidate party votesP T Parameshwaranaik Cong 59336 (elected) B Chandranaik BJP 18526Madhunaik L KJP 18178Hemanhtkumar BBSECP 10300.Constituency - Afzalpurcandidate party votesMalikayya Venkayya Guttedar Cong 38093 (elected) M Y Patil KJP 32855Vitthal Heroor JD(S) 22847Govind Vishwanath Bhat SP 14648Dilip R Patil BJP 10347Constituency - Anekalcandidate party votesShivannaB Cong 105464 (elected)A Narayanaswamy BJP 65282Anekal Keshava JD(S) 7307Constituency - Arsikerecandidate party votesK M Shivalinge Gowda JD(S) 76579 (elected) B Shivaramu Cong 46948Dr. Lokesh D G KJP 26312D B Gangadhar Dummenahalli BJP 2464Constituency - Athanicandidate party votesLaxman Sangappa Savadi BJP 74299 (elected) Mahesh Iranagouda Kumathalli Cong 50528Sadashiv Kedari Butali j JD(S) 15204Sanganagoud Gurupadagoud Patil KJP 1580Constituency - Badamicandidate party votesChimmanakatti Balappa Bhimappa Cong 57446 (elected) Mahantesh Gurupadappa Mamadapur JD(S) 42333 Mahagundappa Kallappa Pattanashetti BJP 30310 Basayya Prabayya Hallur KJP 3095 .Constituency - Bagepallicandidate party votesS N Subbareddy(Chinnakayalapalli) IND 66227 (elected) Sriramareddy G V CPI (M) 35472Harinathareddy JD(S) 16779N Sampangi Cong 15491Constituency - Bailhongalcandidate party votesVishwanath I Patil KJP 40709 (elected) Jagadish @ Virupaxi Channappa Metgud BJP 37088 Basavaraj Shivanand Koujalgi Cong 36042 Shankar B Madalagi KD(S) 9475Constituency - Bangalore Southcandidate party votesM Kkrishnappa BJP 102207 (elected)R Prabhakara Reddy JD(S) 72045Dr.Tejaswini Gowda Cong 63849Jagadish Reddy KJP 3936Constituency - Belgaum Uuttarcandidate party votesFairoz Nuruddin Saith Cong 45125 (elected) Renu Suhas Killekar IND 26915Kiran Maruti Jadhav BJP 17456Shivaputhrappa Chanbasappa Malagi KJP 15271Constituency - Bellary Citycandidate party votesAnil Lad Cong 52098 (elected)S Murali Krishna BSRCP 33898Munna JD(S) 16285Guttiganuru Virupaksha Gouda BJP 5646 Constituency - KampliCandidate Party VotesT.H. Suresh Babu: BSRCP 70858 (Elected) J.N. Ganesh : IND 36462 Gujjal Nagaraja : Cong 12197 Basavaraju H.D: KJP 5494Constituency- KanakagiriCandidate Party VotesShivaraj Sangappa Tangadagi: Cong 49451 (Elected) Basavaraj Dadhesuguru: KJP 44399 Bhavanimatha Mukundarao: BSRCP 28117 Ramanayak Lachamapppa Nayak Lamani: BJP 2948Constituency - KanakapuraCandidate Party VotesD.K. Shivakumar: Cong 100007 (Elected) P.G.R Sindhia: JD(S) 68583B.Nagaraju: BJP 1807Constituency - KapuCandidate Party VotesVinay Kumar Sorake : Cong 52782(Elected) Lalaji R.Mendon : BJP 50927 Vasanth V.Salian: JD(S) 4327Abdul Hakeem: SDPI 2171Constituency - KarkalCandidate Party VotesV.Sunill Kumar: BJP 65039 (Elected) H.Gopal Bhandary: Cong 60785Walter D'souza: JD(S) 1302.Constituency - Belurcandidate party votesY N Rudresha Cong 48802 (elected)K S Lingesha JD(S) 41273H M Viswanath KJP 22203Eshwarahally Lakshmana BJP 10281Constituency - Channapatnacandidate party votesC P Yogeshwara SP 80099 (elected) Anitha Kumaraswamy JD(S) 73635Sadath Alli Khan Cong 8134Ravikumar Gowda BJP 1609Constituency - Chikkodi-Sadalgacandidate party votesPrakash Babanna Hukkeri Cong 102237 (elected) Basavanni Rudrappa Sangappagol BJP 25649 Kiwad Nagesh Tukaram BSP 15409Dr Annappa Maruti Magadum JD(S) 1842Constituency - Chincholicandidate party votesDr Uumesh G Jadav Cong 58599 (elected)Sunil Vallyapur KJP 32539Ramesh Yakapur BJP 12333Constituency - Chittapurcandidate party votesPriyank Kharge Cong 69379 (elected) Valmiki Naik BJP 38188Gurunath KJP 9596.Constituency - KarwarCandidate Party VotesSanteesh Sail Krishna Ind 80727(elected) Asnotikar Anand Vasant BJP 44847Ramanand Bommayya Nayak Cong 12756 Dr Sanju Nayak JD(S) 1568Conatituency - KitturCandidate Party Votes Inamadar Danappagouda Basanagouda Cong 53924(elected) Suresh Shivarudrappa Marihal BJP 35634 Anand Balakrishna Appugol JD(S) 20657 Babugouda Chintamanigouda Patil KJP 6850 Constituency - KolarCandidate Party VotesR Vathur Prakash Ind 62957(elected)K Srinivasa Gowda JD(S) 50366Naseer Ahmed Cong 41510M S Anand BJP 1617Constituency - Kolar Gold FieldCandidate Party VotesRamakka Y BJP 55014(elected)M Backthavachalam JD(S) 28992V Shankar Cong 10218Constituency - KollegalCandidate Party VotesS Jayanna Cong 47402(elected) N Mahesh BSP 37209Balaraj S KJP 32929G N Nanjundaswamy BJP 17224Constituency - Dasarahallicandidate party votesS Muniraju BJP 57562(elected)B L Shankar Cong 46734Andanappa B JD(S) 43049 G Mariswamy KJP 18238Constituency- Davanagere Southcandidate party votesShamanur Shivashankarappa Cong 66320(elected) Karekatte Syed Saifulla JD(S) 26162B Lokesh Bharatiya JP 21282B M Satish KJP 3200Constituency - Devadurgacandidate party votesA Venkatesh Naik Cong 62070(elected) Arakera K Shivanagouda Nayak BJP 58370Shanth Gowda KJP 2747Anjala Channanagouda BAECP 2158Constituency - Dharwadcandidate party votesVinay Kulkarni Cong 53453(elected)Amrut Ayyappa Desai JD(S) 35133Ashtagi Tavanappa Payappa KJP 21589Seema Ashok Masuti BJP 16896Constituency - Gadagcandidate party votesH K Patil Cong 70475(elected)Anil Prakashbabu Mensinkai BSRCP 36748 Bidarur Shreeshailappa Virupaxappa BJP 18715 S B Sankannavar KJP 4808.

Constituency - KoratagereCandidate Party VotesSudhakara Lal P R JD(S) 72229(elected)Dr.G Parameshwara Cong 54074Chandraiah (Vaale Chandraiah) KJP 15738Peddaraju BJP 3088Constituency - KrishnarajaCandidate Party VotesM K Somashekar Cong 52611(elected)S A Ramadas BJP 46546H V Rajeeva KJP 15573Vasu H JD(S) 7486Constituency - KrishnarajanagaraCandidate Party VotesSa Ra Mahesh JD(S) 81457(elected)Doddaswamegowda Cong 66405Basant K N KJP 3827M P Kumara BJP 1860Constituency - KrishnarajpetCandidate Party VotesNarayanagowda JD(S) 56784(elected)K B Chandrashekar Cong 47541Krishna Ind 37764Constituency - KudachiCandidate Party VotesP Rajeev BSRCP 71057(elected) Ghatage Shama Bhima Cong 24823Mahendra Kallappa Tammannavar BJP 14310 Parashuram Santram Gadivaddar KJP 1066

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar wins from Hubli-Dharwad Central with a margin of over 17,750 votes.

Riding the anti-incumbency wave, Congress wrested its old southern fort by putting up an impressive show and touched the half-way mark of 113. The party has won 14 seats and was leading in 99.The JD(S) led by H D Deve Gowda won three seats and was ahead in 42 seats.The SP is leading on one seat while 'Others' have won five seats and leading in 18.The fledgling Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) floated by Yeddyurappa, who achieved his immediate task of damaging BJP, won one seat and could establish leads in only eight seats.Yeddyurappa won from Shikaripura by over 15,000 votes.In the elections five years ago when BJP stormed to power for the first time in a southern state on its own, the party had won 110 seats against Congress' 80 and JD(S) 28.In the 224-member house, 113 seats would be required for majority. Polling was held in 223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district put off to May 28 following death of BJP candidate.Significantly, KJP has damaged the prospects of the BJP in many constituencies, eating into its votes.

Deputy Chief Minister and former BJP state unit President K S Eshwarappa loses in Shimoga, finishes third.

Former Chief Minister and JDS state unit President H D Kumaraswamy wins in Ramanagara by more than 25,000 votes.

President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee and Chief Ministerial aspirant, G Parameshwara, loses in Koratagere (RPT) Koratagere by more than 18,000 votes.

Key candidatesCongressLeading: MH Ambareesh (Mandya), H K Patil (Gadag), SS Mallikarjuna (Davangere North), Priyank M Kharge (Chittapur), Dinesh Gundurao (Gandhi Nagar), Roshan Baig (Shivajinagar), Siddaramaiah (Varuna), TB Jayachandra (Sira), Umashree (Terdal), Ajay Dharmsingh (Jevargi)Trailing: Dr G Parameshwara (Koratagere), S Kumar Bangarrapa (Sorab), CK Abdul Rahman Sharief (Hebbal), CM Ibrahim (Bhadravati)BJPLeading: Anant Hegde (Sirsi), Govind Karjol (Mudhol), R Ashoka (Padmanaba Nagar), S Suresh Kumar (Rajaji Nagar)Trailing: PC Mohan (Gandhi Nagar), KS Eshwarappa (Shimoga)JD(S)Leading: HD Kumaraswamy (Ramanagaram),Anitha Kumaraswamy (Channapatna), HD Revanna (Holenarasipur)KJP/OthersLeading:  BS Yeddyurappa (KJP) - Shikaripura, JD(S), B Sreeramulu (BSRC) – BellaryTrailing: Pooja Gandhi (BSRC) - Raichur, Shobha Karandlaje (KJP) – Rajaji Nagar

Counting of votes for the recently held Assembly elections in Karnataka began this morning amid projections about the Congress' comeback to power after an eight-year-long hiatus.

The single phase poll was held on May 5 for 223 of the 224 constituencies with the poll in Periyapatna put off following the death of a BJP candidate.

Counting was taken up this morning under tight security at 36 centres and the results are expected to be known by noon, sources in the Election Commission said.

Karnataka had recorded the second highest polling of 71.29 % in the last 35 years after 71.90 % in 1978.

Pre-poll surveys and exit polls have projected that the Congress has a clear edge over the ruling BJP, which fought the polls with its back to the wall battered as it was hit by squabbles and charges of corruption.

Nirad Mudur, associate editor, DNA Bangalore tweeted: