Karnataka by-elections results today, BJP needs 6 seats to retain it’s power

The results
of the December 5 bypolls to 15 assembly seats in Karnataka will be declared on
Monday and will have a bearing on the future of chief minister B S
Yediyurappa’s government

The ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) needs to win six out of the 15 to be in majority since
it also enjoys the support of an Independent lawmaker.

It currently
has the simple majority of 105 in the 208 member assembly.

The strength
of the assembly was reduced following the disqualification of 17 lawmakers,
whose resignations in July toppled the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition
government.

The two
parties have a combined strength of 101 seats. They will have to win at least
12 seats and come together to overturn the Yediyurappa government.

The leaders
of the ruling party have expressed confidence that they would be able to retain
power in Karnataka, days after their oldest ally in neighbouring Maharashtra,
Shiv Sena, parted ways with the BJP to form a government in alliance with the
Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.

Deputy chief
minister C N Ashwathnarayan said the BJP would win a maximum number of seats,
adding that a stable and strong government would continue in the state.

The BJP
fielded 13 of the disqualified legislators, who joined the party after the
Supreme Court’s verdict, in the bypolls. They had won these seats in the 2018
assembly elections on Congress and JD(S) tickets.

The Congress
held the 12 of the 15 seats and the JD (S) the remaining three.