New Delhi, May 19 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday congratulated former Prime Minister and JD-S Chief H.D. Deve Gowda, party leader H.D. Kumaraswamy and the Congress after B.S. Yeddyurappa announced his resignation as the Karnataka Chief Minister before facing a crucial trust vote in the state Assembly, and called it a "victory of democracy".

"Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka. Congratulations Deve Gowdaji, Kumaraswamyji, Congress and others. Victory of the 'regional' front," Mamata tweeted.

Mamata's remarks came just after Yeddyurappa announced his resignation in the Karnataka Assembly in an emotional speech, saying "the BJP didn't get the numbers needed to prove majority in the House".

The resignation comes two days after Yeddyurappa took oath as the 15th Chief Minister of the state.

The May 12 election across the state in 222 constituencies of the 225-member assembly, including one nominated, threw up a hung House, with no party securing majority. Polls in two constituencies were deferred.

Of the 222 seats, the BJP won 104, the Congress 78, the Janata Dal-Secular, 37 and one each was bagged by the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party and an Independent.

As JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy won from both Channapatna and Ramanagara segments, the party's effective strength in the House was 36.

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Bengaluru (PTI): In a significant boost to India’s rapidly expanding space economy, the Karnataka government on Friday launched the country’s first state-led Centre of Excellence for Space Technology here, officials said.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening India’s capabilities to translate space innovation into scalable commercial outcomes, they said.

The Centre, established by the Government of Karnataka through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society in collaboration with SIA (Satcom Industry Association India) -India, was inaugurated by Minister for Electronics, IT/BT, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, in the presence of senior officials and industry leaders, officials said.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Kharge said that Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of India's technology and innovation journey. With the launch of this Centre of Excellence for Space Technology, we are extending that leadership into one of the most strategic sectors of the future.

"Our focus is not just on advancing research, but on creating an ecosystem where innovation can translate into real-world applications, economic growth, and high-quality jobs. This Centre will play a critical role in positioning Karnataka as a key driver of India's space economy," he said.

According to an official statement, the CoE SpaceTech Foundation has been established under a Memorandum of Agreement between KITS and SIA-India to drive research and innovation in space technologies, industry-aligned training, startup incubation and cross-sector applications, it said.

The Centre has also formalised strategic MoUs with multiple industry and academic partners to support research in space biotech and microgravity, enable collaboration, build talent pipelines, and provide startups with training and market access, it added.