Karnataka Assembly Polls 2018 Results: Aland, Basavakalyan, Homnabad, Bidar South, Bidar, Bhalki, Aurad, Raichur, Rural, Raichur, Manvi, Devadurga, Lingsugur, Sindhanur, Maski, Kushtagi Latest News

Bengaluru: The counting of votes for keenly contested Karnataka Assembly elections 2018 has begun and initial trends/results have started pouring in on Tuesday, May 15, 2018. As per the available trends, BJP, Congress are neck-and-neck. HD Deve Gowda's JD(S) is fast emerging as a kingmaker in the closely contested assembly elections here. Here are the latest updates for Aland, Basavakalyan, Homnabad, Bidar South, Bidar, Bhalki, Aurad, Raichur, Rural, Raichur, Manvi, Devadurga, Lingsugur, Sindhanur, Maski and Kushtagi assembly constituencies of Karnataka.

Karnataka Assembly elections results 2018: Live updates 

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Out of 225 Karnataka Assembly segments, 222 went to the polls on May 12. The election in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar seat was delayed to May 28 due to the recovery of a large number of voter ID cards. The election in Jayanagar segment was countermanded in the wake of the demise of BJP candidate BN Vijaya Kumar on May 4. The Karnataka election results 2018 are significant for the ruling Congress as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is hoping to make a comeback in this southern state. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is facing a tough battle to ensure Congress returns to power. The veteran Congress leader had on Sunday expressed confidence that his party will retain power in the state and added that this was his last election. He is contesting from two seats - Chamundeshwari and Badami.

Several exit polls have earlier predicted a hung Assembly with no major political party seem to be gaining a clear majority in the state. In such a scenario, HD Deve Gowda's JD(S) is likely to emerge as a kingmaker since its support would be crucial in government formation in Karnataka.

At present, the majority mark is 112 as results will be declared for only 222 seats. While Karnataka Assembly has 225 seats, voting takes place for 224 constituencies as one is a nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community.

A total of 2,655 candidates are in the fray for the 224 seats in Karnataka Assembly. Among the candidates are four sitting and former chief ministers - the current CM Siddaramaiah, former BJP chief ministers BS Yeddyurappa and Jagdish Shettar, and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy. There are 219 women, too, among the aspirants. While the BJP is contesting in all 224 seats, the Congress put up candidates in 222 and the JDS in 201 seats.

According to the state Chief Electoral Officer Sanjeev Kumar 72.13 percent voters came out to exercise their franchise which is the highest in the Karnataka Assembly elections since the 1952 state polls.