Bangalore: The Congress prepared to take power in Karnataka with an absolute majority, leaving the ruling BJP far behind with less than 40 seats in the 225-member assembly.
As votes were counted for the elections held Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party appeared set for a humiliating rout in the state where it took power five years ago -- relegated to the third spot. In contrast, the Congress headed for triumph. Congress workers celebrated wildly in Bangalore, bursting firecrackers.
Congress strongman in Karnataka Siddharamiah was sanguine in victory. "It was only expected," said the man who could be the next chief minister.
Added BJP leader and former chief minister Sadanand Gowda soberly: "We have not been able to rise to the occasion. We could not reach out to the voter with whatever development work we did in Karnataka."
According to the latest trends available, the Congress could win 118 seats, comfortably over the halfway mark of 112.
The BJP, which has seen three chief ministers in five years and found itself split right down the middle with B.S. Yeddyurappa forming his own party, was way behind with 36 seats.
Even the Janata Dal-S (JD-S) was ahead with 41 seats. And Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), who left the BJP amid allegations of corruption, made its political debut with an estimated 14 seats.
It was a reversal of fortunes of sorts for the two main parties - the Congress, readying for power in Bangalore, is on the backfoot in New Delhi as the BJP demands the resignations of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as union ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.
