In a big setback for former CM BS Yediyurappa, BJP is trailing in five of the seven seats in Shivamogga district. A day ahead of counting of votes in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday expressed confidence about the BJP crossing the "magic figure" with a clear majority, and said the question of coalition talks with other political parties does not arise now. Most exit polls have predicted a tight contest between the Congress and BJP in the Assembly polls. A majority of them have also given an edge to the Congress over the ruling BJP, while indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly.
Meanwhile, BY Vijayendra, son of former chief minsiter BS Yediyurappa is leading from the Shikaripura assembly constituency after the first few rounds of counting. According to Election Commission data, Vijayendra received 5,176 votes.In 2018 Yediyurappa won this seat comfortably, beating Malatesh by a huge margin of 35,397 votes. In 2013 too Yediyurappa won this seat - this time ahead of the Congress' HS Shanthaveerappagowda by nearly 25,000 votes. Vijayendra is contesting against Congress’s Goni Malatesh, who lost to Yediyurappa in the 2018 Assembly election. From JD(S), there is Sudhakar Shetty in Shikaripura. The ruling BJP is hoping to retain the only southern state where it has held power, and in the process, reverse the trend since the 1980s of Karnataka voting out its incumbent government. The Congress, on the other hand, aims to win its first major state since December 2018, when it defeated its arch-rival in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan