The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single-largest political party in the crucial Karnataka state assembly elections. Although it didn’t manage to cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, the party did make significant in roads in the southern state.
The BJP’s dominance in coastal and central Karnataka was key as the regions had favoured the Congress in 2013.
Here’s how the voting pattern changed since 2013 in Karnataka’s four main administrative divisions:
Bengaluru
The Bengaluru administrative division is the largest in Karnataka, with nine of the 30 districts and 77 of 224 seats. The BJP more than doubled its tally here by taking away seven seats each from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular).
Mysuru
The Mysuru division comprises the coastal districts where BJP managed to swing the votes away from the Congress. It’s where the BJP hurt Congress the most. The JD(S) too improved its tally here.
Kalaburagi
The BJP’s tripled its vote share from 2013 in the Kalaburagi division that has 40 seats. The Congress managed to hold fort but its tally fell slightly. The division had seen 17 seats go to candidates from other smaller parties last time. This time, region was swept away by the three big parties.
Belagavi
The Belagavi division is another key region where the BJP turned around its fortunes. It managed to more than double its tally at the expense of the Congress and other smaller parties. The JD(S) also saw a slight improvement here.
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