BJP wins 90 seats, eyeing simple majority in K'taka

Bangalore, May 25 (UNI) The lotus is all set to bloom South of the Vindhyas for the first time on its own in Karnataka, as the BJP bagged 90 of the 174 seats for which results were declared so far today in the 224-member State Assembly and was leading in 20 others.

Considering the trend, the BJP is likely to emerge the single largest party, bettering its 2004 performance of 79 seats. However, it might not touch the magic figure of 113 for simple majority.

The Congress was in a poor second position, winning only 58 seats and leading in 22 others, while the Janata Dal (Secular), which had played a key role in government formation in the previous Assembly, won 21 seats and was leading in seven others.

Other candidates won in five constituencies and were leading in one, according to the latest tally announced by the Election Commission.

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