"Setback for BJP," says Karnataka minister Ashwath Narayan as Congress surges ahead

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 13 : As the Congress is surging ahead in the Karnataka assembly polls, State Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party accepts the verdict of the people and it is a setback for the party.
Speaking to ANI, Narayan who is leading in the Mallaeshwar Assembly as per the latest trends said, "This is a setback for us in Karnataka. We accept the verdict of the people. We will work much harder, seek the blessings of the people and come out with flying colours. When it comes to the 2024 elections, we want to ensure that all our candidates win from all the 28 seats."
As per the latest trends, Narayan has so far polled 80,606 votes while Congress' Anupam Iyenger has secured 39,304 votes.
Sensing victory, the Karnataka minister took to his personal Twitter handle and wrote, "The electorates of Malleswar Assembly have blessed me with a huge majority for the fourth time in a row. I think this is a victory for the determination to make Malleshwar constituency a model constituency in the entire state. I walk the path of making that resolution come true. This victory made me more humble and ready to serve people".
Congress is heading for a handsome victory in Karnataka and is poised to win 136 seats. BJP is expected to win 64 seats.
The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security across the state.
Karnataka went to the polls on May 10 for the 224-member state assembly and saw a record polling of 72.68 per cent. A party needs 113 seats to get the majority.