The Bharatiya Janata Party has showcased an astounding performance in Karnataka with early trends showing a sweep for the saffron party in the state leading in 21 seats against the Congress-JD(S) combine which has just four seats to its name.

From Bangalore South, BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya is leading with a massive vote share of 62.51 per cent with 3,74,588 votes over Congress Rajya Sabha MP BK Hariprasad who is leading with 2,03,614 votes.

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In Uttara Kannada, sitting MP and Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde is leading with 5,34,515 votes. JD(S)’ Anand Asnotikar has gained only 1,93,285 votes in the early trends.

Sitting MP and Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has been holding the seat for the third consecutive term. Uttara Kannada is a BJP stronghold. In last year’s assembly elections, five of the eight assembly constituencies here went to the BJP.

Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal-Secular candidate HD Deve Gowda is trailing behind BJP’s GS Basavaraj in Tumkur by a slender margin with 2,70,514 votes. Basavaraj is ahead with 2,86,810 votes.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is trailing behind BJP’s Umesh Jadav in Gulbarga.

Umesh Jadav is leading with 2,13,511 votes.

Deve Gowda opted to contest from Tumkur, paving the way for his grandson Prajwal Revenna to enter the fray from the adjacent Hassan seat, which is the traditional bastion of the JD-S and the Gowda clan.

Karnataka is currently ruled by the JDS-Congress coalition with JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy as the chief minister.

Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister soon after the Karnataka elections last year in May. However, he was forced to resign as the BJP was short of the majority mark of 111 in the state assembly.

The JDS and Congress tied up to form the government.

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