Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda confident of BJP defeat in K'taka civic polls

After numbers indicated Congress' victory in the Karnataka civic polls, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said that city voters have shown full support to the coalition government led by the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress.

"City voters normally vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but with the outcome of this result (it indicates that) even city voters have shown full support to the coalition government led by the Congress and the JD(S)," the Chief Minister said.

Kumaraswamy's father and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda also spoke on the same lines saying, "We have succeeded. The JD(S) and the Congress will go together to keep the BJP at a distance."

However, the BJP's state president BS Yeddyurappa said, "Just wait for a month and see what happens to this government."

Out of total 2664 seats, the results for 2267 have been announced. The Congress has managed to win 846 seats while the BJP bagged 788 and the Janata Dal (Secular) won 307 seats, with the remaining going to independent candidates.

The polling was held in 2,529 wards, spread over 29 city municipalities, 53 town municipalities, 23 town panchayats and in 135 wards of three city corporations of the state.