Karnataka polls: Congress bags biggest win since 1989, BJP loses its only state in South India

Here are the top developments from the Karnataka elections:

1. The Congress secured a clear majority in Karnataka as counting for 224 Assembly seats in the state entered its last phase on Saturday evening. According to the Election Commission data at 6.45 pm, the Congress had won 128 constituencies and was leading in 8 of the seats. The Congress has received 43% of the votes polled in the elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party had bagged 60 constituencies and was ahead in five more, while the Janata Dal (Secular) won 19 seats. In terms of both vote share and number of seats, the Congress looked set to have won the biggest victory in Karnataka since 1989. The Congress itself had won the state back then with 178 seats and nearly 44% vote share.
2. After Saturday’s results, the BJP has lost the only state it was in power in southern India. Out of the 28 states and two Union territories with the legislature, the BJP is now in power only in 15. Of these, only seven are major states with populations of more than 1 crore. According to the 2011 Census figures, only 45% of India’s population is now ruled by a BJP government.
3. Reacting to the victory, former chief minister and senior...

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