K'taka Poll: Yeddyurappa gets his goal - BJP loses

Bangalore, May 8: The Congress is all set to rule Karnataka after six years, but more than the grand old party it might be former BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa who will be celebrating.

His aim was to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party -- and it has happened.

As millions of votes polled Sunday were counted in 36 centres across the state Wednesday, it was a tale full of losses for BJP.

While the Congress was set to get 118 seats in the 225-member house for which elections were held, the BJP score was a dismal 36.

The party was headed to occupy third place ahead of Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), which was leading in possibly 10 seats. The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) was in second place with 42 seats.

Yeddyurappa, largely credited with bringing the BJP to power in the state five years ago, quit the party to lead the KJP in December, after he was not made the state BJP chief.

He claims BJP central leaders had promised the post after he was forced to give up chief ministership in July 2011 over mining bribery charges.

His campaign has been centred on "exposing" the party's "betrayal" and he had vowed to trounce it.

In the 2008 election, the BJP had won 110 seats and formed the government in the state for the first time with the help of five independents.

The BJP, perhaps, will be drawing consolation in this hour of humiliation in the only southern state it came to power in 2008 that Yeddyurappa's dream of ruling Karnataka also lies shattered.

The assembly has 224 elected and one nominated members. Election took place Sunday for 223 seats as election was cancelled in one constituency after the BJP candidate died.

IANS