Opposition Congress on Saturday seemed to be on course to breach rival BJP s lone southern citadel Karnataka, racing ahead towards the magic 113 figure to form a government on its own.
Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar has emerged victorious in the Kanakapura seat again as he defeated the BJP candidate R Ashoka by over 50,000 votes.
Mr Shivakumar secured 1,42,156 votes against the 20,561 votes polled by his Janata Dal (Secular) rival B Nagaraju. Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) R Ashoka was in third place with 19,602 votes.
Congress state president junked the exit poll results in which the party, though it gains the highest number of seats, has to contend with a hung assembly
Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar, who is facing a stiff fight from the BJP in his Kanakapura seat, has managed to get Narayana Gowda, a senior leader from JD(S) to join the party.