Karnataka Election 2023: Congress crosses halfway mark in early trends, ahead in 124 seats

Congress has crossed the halfway mark as per the latest trends of the Election Commission of India. 

The Congress Party now has 124 of the 224 seats, while the BJP holds 69. 

In 24 seats, the Janata Dal (Secular) leads. As of 12:24 p.m., the Congress had 43.1 per cent of the vote, while the BJP had 35.9 per cent. The JD(S) came in third place with 13 per cent of the vote. 

Also Read: Karnataka Election Results 2023: A neck-to-neck fight, Congress takes early lead

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress' Siddaramaiah, and DK Shivakumar are leading from their respective constituencies, while JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy is locked in a tight race with BJP's CP Yogeshwara from Channapatna.

Speaking to the media Karnataka CM Bommai said, "In spite of a lot of efforts put in by PM Modi and BJP workers, we've not been able to make the mark. Once the full results come we'll do a detailed analysis. We take this result in our stride to come back in Lok Sabha elections."

The counting is taking place in 36 locations around the state, with rigorous security measures in place, particularly in and near the counting centres, according to government sources. The postal ballots are counted first.