Karnataka Election Results: Siddarmaiah's son says, 'My father should become CM', as Congress inches towards victory

Yathindra Siddaramiah, a Congress leader and the son of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressed assurance on Saturday that the Congress party will secure an outright majority and form a government independently. He further stated that his father should become the Chief Minister for the betterment of Karnataka.

"We will do anything to keep BJP out of power...In the interest of Karnataka, my father should become the Chief Minister," Yathindra Siddaramiah said while talking to reporters.

In addition, he affirmed that the Congress party will achieve an absolute majority in the State and that his father will emerge victorious in the Varuna constituency with a significant lead.

"Congress will get an absolute majority and form the government in Karnataka. We are very confident that we will make government on our own," he said.

"As a son, definitely I would like to see him as a Chief Minister. But as a resident of the state, his last regime had a very good governance, this time also, if he becomes the Chief Minister, whatever corruption and misrule during the BJP rule will be corrected by him. In the interest of the State also, he should become the CM," Yathindra added.

Amidst strict security measures, the vote counting process commenced at 8 am today.

Following the conclusion of the voting on May 10, exit polls indicated a fractured assembly with some projecting the Congress party to come back to power with a majority. The majority of the exit polls predicted that the BJP would not reach the halfway mark of 113 seats.

The early trends on Sasturday, however, showed the Congress party winning with a clear majority over the BJP and snatching one more state ruled by the saffron party after Himachal Pradesh.