Karnataka elections 2018: BJP KS Eshwarappa wins Shivamogga constituency

BJP leader KS Eshwarappa wins from Shivamogga City constituency, as per media reports.

The 69-year old veteran politician has held cabinet positions in previous BJP governments in the state and served as the deputy chief minister in the Jagadish Shettar-lead government from 2012 to 2013.

The BJP's decision to field Eshwarappa from Shivamogga City constituency was seen as an attempt to end the rift between him and Yeddyurappa, who wanted to field his loyalist from the seat. For Eshwarappa, the 2018 elections are crucial since he lost the 2013 polls by a huge margin.

The Election Commission on Tuesday started counting of votes for declaring the Karnataka assembly election results 2018. Exit polls have predicted a close contest between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

After a high-decibel campaign, 222 of the 224 seats in the Karnataka legislative assembly witnessed voting on May 12. The Election Commission postponed voting in two seats due to alleged irregularities in one and the death of a candidate in the other.