Karnataka Elections Results: Siddaramaiah leads in Badami

Bengaluru, May 15: Bengaluru, May 14: Ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections results, Incumbent Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress was leading in Badami but struggling in Chamundeshwari nearly three hours into the counting of votes on Tuesday for the Karnataka assembly elections held on May 12.

Contesting against BJP's B Sriramulu in Badami, Siddaramaiah is currently leading by over 3,000 votes. The Badami seat, which comes under Bagalkot district, was won by Congress’ Chimmanakatti Balappa Bhimappa in 2013. He defeated JD(S) candidate Mahantesh Mamadapur by about 5,000 votes. The BJP stood third, winning 21.79 percent of the vote share.

In Chamundeshwari, meanwhile, the Congress veteran was trailing, with the margin steadily widening, latest at 18,000 votes, against G T Deve Gowda, a former minister solidly backed by JD(S) leaders H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy.

Siddaramaiah is contesting against B Sriramulu of the BJP in Badami, an important seat in the Bagalkot district, which falls in what is known as the "Mumbai-Karnataka region" of the state.

The Congress won Badami in 2013 and before this, the BJP won in 2008.