Karnataka Election Results 2023: CM-aspirant DK Shivakumar Wins Kanakapura Seat With Huge Margin

Karnataka lections Result Updates: After the thumping victory in Karnataka, the focus in Congress party has now shifted on who will become the Chief Minister. Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar are in the forefront for the coveted post and both are looking at the high command for its decision.

Siddaramaiah, while answering a question on who will become the CM, stated on Saturday that the high command will take the opinion of newly-elected MLAs and a decision would be taken accordingly. The observers will be sent here by the high command and a decision would be taken later after consultations and due process, he added. Shivakumar also maintained that the high command will take a call.

Here are the latest news and counting updates on the Karnataka election results:

• The conclusion to some keenly watched contests was interesting. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who joined Congress after being denied a ticket for the assembly polls, lost from the seat of Hubli-Darwad Central by over 30,000 votes against BJP’s Mahesh Tenginkai. Another among the Congress heavyweights who lost was former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson and JD-S candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who lost the Ramnagar seat to Congress candidate H.A. Iqbal Hussain.
• Siddaramaiah won from Varuna by 46,000 votes and DK Shivakumar by the highest margin of 1,20,000 votes in Kanakapura.
• After the Congress’ victory, both CM candidates DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaih reacted with praise for the party high command. While Siddaramaiah called the result a ‘stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election’, endorsing Rahul Gandhi for the Prime Ministerial post, Shivakumar broke down in tears, and recalled the time Sonia Gandhi had visited him in jail.
• But there were also calls for a ‘Dalit CM’, considering the caste arithmetic which is said to have contributed to the Congress’ victory. Former Chief minister Veerappa Moily said if the majority of MLAs wanted a Dalit chief minister, the party high command could not go against it and impose a candidate of their choice.
• This year’s voting patterns also provided some interesting insights. Constituencies with higher literacy appear to be favouring the BJP. The party had led in constituencies with literacy rates above 80%, as per 2011 Census data. On the other hand, Congress seemed to be making a clean sweep of all ten tribal dominated seats.
• In an almost prophetic manner, a miffed JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy had told media that the election results would become clear in the next two to three hours. “Exit polls show that the two national parties will score in a big way. The exit polls have given 30-32 seats to JD(S). I am a small party, there is no demand for me…I am hoping for a good development,” he was quoted as saying by ANI, right before counting began.