BJP leading in all 5 seats in Karnataka, initial trends show

The BJP is leading in all the five Lok Sabha seats out of 28 in Karnataka as per the initial trends available so far, the Election Commission said.

According to trends available for the five seats on the Election Commission of India website, Y Devendrappa of BJP was leading against Congress' V S Ugrappa by a margin of over 311 votes in Bellary.

In Dakshina Kannada, the saffron party's sitting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel was leading against Congress' Mithun M Rai by 1,912 votes.

In Davangere, BJP's sitting MP and former Union Minister G M Siddeshwara was leading against Congress' H B Manjappa by a margin of 953 votes.

In former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's family bastion of Hassan, his grandson Prajwal Revanna of JD(S) was trailing against A Manju, who quit Congress and joined BJP ahead of polls.

Manju was leading with a margin of 216 votes.

Sitting BJP MP Karadi Sanganna was leading in Raichur against Rajashekar Hitnal of Congress by a margin of 1,710 votes.

Counting of votes began at 8 am in 28 counting centresacross the state, where 3,224 tables have been arranged forthe purpose, and the total number of rounds are expected to beabout 4,215, poll officials said.