K’taka Elections were held on Saturday in 222 out of 224 assembly constituencies in 58,546 polling stations in the state and today counting has started.

It is a neck to neck fight between BJP and Congress, as Congress leading on 75 seats and BJP leading on 77 seats at 9.02am.

BJP takes over Congress, is now leading on 78 seats. Congress is leading on 67 seats, while JD(S)+ has moved up to lead on 25 seats.

Siddaramaiah is leading in Badami.

BJP is closing in, with 52 seats at 8.31am. Congress is leading on 58 seats. JD(S)+ is gaining, with leads on 16 seats for now.

A total of 2,654 candidates, including 216 women candidates were in the tussle for the Assembly Elections this year.

The elections in Karnataka are being viewed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its entryway into the South.

The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to throw out the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka and is looking to come back to power in the state with B.S. Yeddyurappa as its chief ministerial candidate. fascinatingly, no incumbent government has been ever re-elected in Karnataka since 1985.

BJP fielded 223 candidates while Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) fielded 222 and 201 candidates respectively.

Out of the 224 seats, 36 of them are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), while 15 of them are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The elections in two constituencies, Jayanagar and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, both hails Bengaluru have been postponed earlier.