From kingmaker to distant third: How JD(S) suffered a big setback in Karnataka Assembly election

Kingmaker! It became a buzzword ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election results as several exit polls predicted a hung assembly. Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy was the most sought-after man with both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trying to woo him. But now as counting progresses, a Congress win is definite – the Grand Old Party has hit the majority mark, the BJP is a far second and JD(S) seems to have suffered a setback.

What happens to HD Kumaraswamy?

Don’t miss: Live updates of the Karnataka Election Results 2023 LIVE

The numbers

Congress is leading in 131 of the 224 seats – a party needs to win 113 to reach a majority mark and stake claim to form a government. The BJP is leading in 67 and the JD(S) in 22.

The JDS vote share seems to have taken a hit and early projections indicate that it might win fewer seats than it did in 2018, when it had secured 37 seats. It secured 20 per cent of the vote share in the last Assembly elections, which has plummeted this year.

Also read: Karnataka Results: Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah? Who will be Congress’ CM pick?

With Congress racing ahead, it is unlikely that the HD Devagowda-led party will be calling the shots. From possible kingmaker to a distant third, that is likely to hurt.

The BJP has seen a sharp dip in the seat count. In 2018, it emerged as the single-largest party winning 104 seats but now it is leading 67 seats. There hasn’t been a big dip in the BJP vote share, according to a report by NDTV.

Congress has seen a gain in its vote share. The Grand Old Party seems to have benefited from the losses of the JDS.

Kumaraswamy leads, son trails

While Kumaraswamy is leading from the Channapatna constituency, his son Nikhil is trailing in Ramanagaram. The JDS scion was making his debut after the seat was vacated by his mother Anitha Kumaraswamy.

Right before the counting, the Kumaraswamy told media that the election results would become clear in the next two to three hours. “Exit polls show that the two national parties will score in a big way. The exit polls have given 30-32 seats to JD(S). I am a small party, there is no demand for me…I am hoping for a good development,” he was quoted as saying by ANI, right before counting began.

He appears almost prophetic now, save for the seat count.

#WATCH | "No one has contacted me till now. There is no demand for me, I am a small party" says JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, ahead of Karnataka election results. pic.twitter.com/0Mkbqdd7Tr

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2023

Karnataka’s voting pattern

Since 1985, Karnataka has voted against the incumbent government in almost every election. The only exception was 2004 and 2018 when Congress formed a government (only for a year) with a coalition with the JD(S),

No political party has been a part of the Karnataka government for two consecutive terms.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the BJP won 104 seats while the Congress secured victory in 80 seats.
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With inputs from agencies
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