Karnataka Election Results LIVE Updates: BJP's CK Ramamurthy wins Jayanagar with margin of 16 votes after recount

Karnataka Assembly Election Results LIVE: BJP's CK Ramamurthy has won the Jayanagar seat with margin of 16 votes after recount. Earlier, after first counting, Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy was leading by 294 votes. An EC official said the recounting of postal ballots was ordered following an appeal by Ramamurthy after Congress state president DK Shivakumar and party working president Ramalinga Reddy among other office bearers staged a demonstration in protest against the electoral body's order.

Karnataka Election Results LIVE Updates: The Congress party is all set to form the government in Karnataka with the party winning majority and the debate now shifts to who will be crowned the next chief minister. The party has called a meeting on May 14 to discuss government formation and select a leader for the state. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will meet Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to discuss the chief ministerial position. Notably, this is the Congress' best electoral

 performance in the state since 1989. As per the results declared by the Election Commission in 223 out of the 224 seats, the Congress has won 135 seats, the BJP's tally has been reduced to 65 and the JD(S) 19. The final result in one constituency, Jayanagar, was awaited as a controversy erupted over the recounting of votes. Meanwhile, the party's victory in the Karnataka assembly polls is likely to help get its candidates elected in three of the four Rajya Sabha seats from the state falling vacant next year.

For the BJP, this comprehensive defeat in Karnataka after a campaign of contrasts has left it with much to ponder as the two rivals prepare for a direct contest in three more state polls this year in the run-up to the all-important 2024 Lok Sabha elections.