BANGALORE: Congress today made a spectacular come back in Karnataka wresting power after seven years in its old southern fortress and in the process decimated the ruling BJP whose fate was sealed by a fractious split and corruption charges.

Battered by a series of scams at the national stage, Congress put up an impressive show in the Assembly elections crossing the half-way mark of 113 seats in a House of 224 obviating the need for crutches and belying predictions.

The Congress has won 118 seats and was leading in three others, a gain of 41 seats over the elections five years ago, setting off a chief ministerial race into which OBC leader Siddaramaiah and Dalit leader and Central Minister Mallikarjun Kharge threw their hat.

Hit by the exit of former Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa and the image of corruption during its tenure in the first government in the south, the BJP has won 37 seats and was leading in three more. It had had won 110 seats five years ago.

Similarly, the JD(S), which had 28 seats in the 2008 elections, has won 37 seats and was ahead in three more. The BJP and JD(S) are locked in a neck-and-neck race for the main Opposition status.

The Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP), which ended as a spoiler for BJP, could not do much for itself as it bagged only seven seats.

The BSR-Congress, led by former BJP Minister Sriramulu, considered close to the Bellary brothers, also chipped away BJP votes and ended up with four seats.

C.P. Yogeeshwara, who quit the Jagadish Shettar Ministry, towards the end of the tenure of the government and contested on Samajwadi Party ticket, won from Channapata, defeating Anitha Kumaraswamy (JDS), wife of JDS state unit president H.D. Kumaraswamy, by nearly 6,500 votes. — PTI

NEW DELHI: BJP on Wednesday said it was "shocked, upset and unhappy" about the defeat in the Karnataka assembly elections and conceded that B.S. Yeddyurappa's exit was a factor in the rout.

"We are shocked. We are upset and unhappy about the loss. There is a combination of several factors that led to the fall of morale of the cadre," BJP general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

He said the party will analyse the cause of the loss and why it happened.

Another senior party leader Ravishankar Prasad said former party leader B. S. Yeddyurappa took away "good portion of our votes".

However, he defended the decision on distancing from Yeddyurappa as there was "serious issue of corruption and Lokayukta also took cognisance".

The party tried its best to accommodate Yeddyurappa but did not accede to "Yeddyurappa's my way or highway attitude".

"Certain issues are non-negotiable and corruption is one such issue," he said adding, "since 1989, one who wins Karnataka loses Lok Sabha. So I am sure we will win Lok Sabha," he said. — PTI

BANGALORE: Making no bones about his ambition, Leader of Opposition Congress in the outgoing Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah on Wednesday declared himself as a “strong contender” for the Chief Minister’s post, as his party dethroned the BJP and was set to form the government.

“I am one of the strong contenders,” Siddaramaiah, who is facing a challenge from other chief ministerial aspirants such as KPCC chief G. Parameshwara and Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, told reporters.

Siddaramaiah, a backward class leader, said the decision on chief ministership was, however, left to the Congress high command and the legislature party.

On the electoral outcome, he said the people had given the mandate to the Congress as they wanted a “stable and clean” government and were not in favour of a coalition.

Siddaramaiah said the defeat was a “big lesson” to the BJP which was “involved in corruption, mis-governance and non-performance.”

To questions, he said the Rahul factor had also played a role in the Congress’ victory and there was “no Modi magic.”

He also credited the victory to the “good governance” provided by the UPA led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Meanwhile, Union Labour Minister and senior leader from Karnataka Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday indicated that he was ready to be considered for the Chief Minister’s post following the electoral victory in the state.

“I don’t want the post because of my caste (Dalit). I am not interested because of long-standing service to the party. If they think that I am fit for the post, then it is upto them to take a decision. I will abide by any decision the high command takes,” he said answering questions whether he is in the race for Chief Minister’s post.

Kharge, however, added that he was a senior in the party, but whatever decision the Congress President and the leadership takes will be acceptable to him. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over Centre’s interference in CBI probe in coal scam and other cases, the Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Joint Secretaries of PMO and Coal Ministry for meeting CBI officials and suggesting changes in the draft report.

"It’s a sordid saga that there are many masters and one parrot," the apex court said after going through CBI Director’s affidavit on coal scam probe.

The court also criticised the CBI for becoming "a caged parrot speaking in master’s voice" and said the job of the CBI is not to interact with government officials but to interrogate to find the truth. It said the CBI must know how to stand up against all pulls and pressures by government and its officials.

On his part the Attorney General said he neither asked nor got CBI’s probe report in coal scam.

He said his meeting with CBI officials took place only on suggestions of the Law Minister. — PTI