BJP emerges as the lead

Bengaluru: The cut-throat contest of the Karnataka Assembly elections has come to a climax as the counting process has begun in various centres across the State. The BJP has emerged as the leading party with 10 seats so far, followed by the Congress which has secured 6 seats and the JD(S) with 4 seats.

Postal ballot counting has just been completed at Gandhinagar declaring Congress candidate Dinesh Gundu Rao as leading with 57 votes, followed by JD(S) candidate V. Narayanaswamy with 37 votes. The first round of counting in the Tirthahalli segment has declared that BJP candidate Araga Jnanendra is leading over Congress candidate Kimmane Rathnakar with 756 votes

The sitting Congress MLA in Haveri Rudrappa Lamani is trumped by BJP candidate Neharu Olekar with 3445 votes. The BJP is leading in Moodabidri as well with over 9000 votes for the candidate Umanatha A. Kotian.