New Delhi/Bengaluru: Jubilant Congress workers across the country started celebrating as the grand old party registered a resounding victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Saturday.
The party workers gathered at Congress headquarters in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Bihar to distribute sweets.
The Congress crossed the 113-seat mark in the Assembly elections, the majority required to form the government, in Karnataka.
According to the Election Commission website, the party won 119 seats and was leading in 17 constituencies.
On the other hand, the BJP won 55 seats and was ahead in 9 segments. The JD(S) emerged victorious in 18 seats and was leading in two constituencies.
Two independents, one candidate each from ‘Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha’ and ‘Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha’ won.
Elections to the 224-member Assembly took place on Wednesday.
In his first reaction, Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge said the party will work towards fulfilling its election promises.
“I thank the people of Karnataka for giving a huge mandate to Congress. We will respect the mandate and uphold people’s belief in us. We will implement all the welfare schemes we have announced in our manifesto. I thank Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and also Sonia Gandhi who campaigned even when she wasn’t well,” Kharge said. Targeting BJP, he said the people have defeated a party’s government “which had indulged in corruption”.
“People of all communities voted for us. Now, we have to go miles and fulfill the promises and guarantees we made to the public. This is a result of the collective work of our workers, from booth to state level. They worked under collective leadership,” Kharge said.
 Asked about the chief ministerial face, Kharge said that the name will be decided after a meeting of MLAs and central observers. “There is a process for this (choosing CM). We will call a meeting of MLAs. The central observers will also come, after which we will know everybody’s opinion and build a consensus,” he added.
Karnataka went to the polls on May 10 for 224 member assembly and saw a record polling of 72.68 percent.
