Live Updates: Karnataka Election Results
The much-awaited day has arrived as the counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 has begun. The counting process started early this morning across various counting centers in the state amid tight security arrangements.
Here are the live and important updates from the counting centres across the state:
12:20: BJP Leader V. Sunil Kumar wins from Karkala seat
12:10: Independent candidate Arun Kumar Puthila blazing the lead with 119 votes in Puttur seat, Congress candidate Ashok Kumar Rai trailing.
12:10: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai wins from homebase Shiggaon.
12:05: BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Karkala slips from top spot, now trailing in Karkala seat.
12:00: Nikhil Kumaraswamy trailing in Ramanagar.
11:55: BJP candidate Yashpal Suvarna leading with 12,604 votes in Udupi constituency.
11:50: BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Karkala leading in Karkala constituency.
11:45: Congress candidate Jagadish Shettar trailing in Hubbali-Dharawad central seat.
11:40: Congress candidate UT Khader leading with 25,000 votes in Mangaluru constiteuncy.
11:30: Vedavyas Kamath wins from Mangalore City South constituency defeat's congress candidate J.R Lobo.
11:30: Congress candidate Zameer Ahmed triumphs Chamaraja Pete seat.
11:30: Chamarajanagar: BJP's V. Somanna loses to Congress candidate Puttarangashetti.
11:25: BJP's Harish Poonja leading with 8442 votes in Belthangady seat, as 10th round of counting ends.
11:25: Congress vs Arun Kumar Puthila in Puttur: Independent candidate Arun Kumar Puthila leading with 32226 votes, Ashok Kumar Rai trailing with 31,670 votes.
11:20: JDS candidate Swaroop triumphs Hassan seat.
11:15: Dakshina Kannada: Congress candidate UT Khader leading with 15,000 votes in Mangaluru seat.
11:15: Dakshina Kannada: BJP spearheads in 6 seats (Mangaluru North, Mangaluru South, Mudbidri, Belthangady, Sullia, Bantwal), Congress leading Mangaluru seat, alongside tough contest between Congress candidate Ashok Rai and Puthila.
11:10: Dakshina Kannada: BJP Candidate Bhagirathi leading in Sullia seat.
11:05: Karkala: BJP MLA Sunil Kumar leading with 1991 votes.
11:05: BJP"s Harish Poonja leading in Belthangady seat.
11:05: BJP ahead with 5,798 votes in 6th round of counting in Batwal constituency.
11:00: Puttur: Independent candidate Arun Kumar Puthila trailblazes ahead with 91 votes in 7th round of counting, tough contest between Puthila and Congress candidate Ashok Kumar Rai.
11:00: Congress candidate Tanvir Seth leading in Narasimharaja seat.
10:55: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah leading in Varuna seat.
10:50: Congress candidate Ashok Rai leads from Puttur seat in fifth round of counting with 1221 votes.
10:50: BJP's Bharath Shetty leading in Mangaluru North seat with 10310 votes in fifth round of counting.
10:50: Mangaluru: UT Khader leading with 11,044 votes in fourth round of counting.
10:45: Dakshina Kannada: Congress candidate Ramanath Rai now trailing in tough contest by BJP's Rajesh Naik who is ahead with 5,198 votes.
10:35: Mangalore City South: BJP's Vedavyas Kamath darts ahead with 20,000 lead, Congress candidate JR Lobo trailing.
10:35: Congress candidate Makal Vaidya leading in Bhatkal in seventh round of counting
10:25: Congress crosses magic number mark leading in early trends
10:25: Dakshina Kannada: Congress candidate UT Khader leading from his stronghold Mangaluru constituency.
10:25: Puttur: Fourth round of counting ends, Congress candidate Ashok Kumar Rai leading.
10:15: Mangalore City North: BJP's Bharath Shetty races ahead leading in third round of counting, Inayat Ali trailing now.
10:05: BJP's Yashpal Suvarna leading in Udupi seat.
10:05: Dakshina Kannada: BJP gets slight lead in Sullia constituency.
10:00: BJP's CT Ravi now leading in the third round of counting from Chikkamagaluru seat.
9:55: Coastal Karnataka: BJP leading ahead in 13 seats, congress in 6.
9:50: Belthangady: BJP's Harish Poonja leading in third round of counting.
9:50: Dakshina Kannada: Congress candidate Inayat Ali leading with 1,098 votes in Mangaluru North seat.
9:45: Big jolt for BJP's CT Ravi as he trails in the second round of counting from Chikkamagaluru seat.
9:40: Dakshina Kannada: Congress candidate Ashok Rai leading from Puttur.
9:40: BJP Trailing in CM Basavaraj Bommai's home district Haveri, except for Shiggaon seat were Bommai himself is leading.
9:35: Congress candidate Zameer Ahmed leading ahead with 20,000 votes in Chamrajpete constituency.
9:35: Mankal Vaidya leading by 300 votes in Bhatkal.
9:35: BJP state Vice President and BS Yeddyurappa's son B.Y Vijayendra trailing from Shikaripura seat
9:35: Congresss's Rizwan Arshad leading from Shivajinagar seat.
9:25: BJP deserter and Congress candidate Laxman Savadi leading from Athani seat
9:25: Congress candidate Tanvir Seth ahead from Narasimharaja constituency.
9:20: BJP's Sasikala Jolla trailing from Nippani seat.
9:20: Chamarajanagar: Somanna trailing by 4,000 votes.
9:20: Jagadish Shettar trailing in second round of counting from Hubbali-Dharwad central seat.
9:20: JD(S) candidate and Popular actor Nikhil Kumaraswamy leading ahead with 802 votes from Ramanagara constituency.
9:15: Congress candidate Anil ahead in HD Kote seat
9:15: BJP Candidate Basavaraj Bommai leading from Shiggaavi constituency.
9:15: Dakshina Kannada: BJP candidate Harish Poonja leading with a difference of 964 votes from Belthangady seat.
9:10: Congress breaches 100-seat mark for the first time, leads on 106 seats after first round of voting
9:05: Channapatna: 1st round of counting ends; Former CM HD Kumarswamy trailing in Channapatna.
9:00: Congress accelerates ahead leading with 82 seats, BJP trailing with 66 seats, JD(S) at 21
9:00: Chikkaballapur: BJP's Dr K Sudhakar trailing
9:00: Congress Candidate Vinay Kulkarni leading from Dharwad seat.
8:45: Uttara Kannada: RV Deshpande trialing from Haliyala seat
8:45: Former BJP leader Jagadish Shettar trailing from Hubbali-Dharawad seat.
8:40: BJP candidate M.P. Renukacharya trailing behind from Honnali seat.
8:40: BJP Rebel and Independent candidate, Pro-Hindutva mascot Arun Kumar Puthila leading from Puttur seat.
8:30: Former BJP leader Jagadish Shettar who joined Congress ahead of the Karnataka elections, leading on Hubballi seat.
8:30: BJP's candidate from Udupi Yashpal Suvarna leading.
8:30: JD(S)'s Nikhil Kumaraswamy is trailing in Ramanagaram.
8:25: Congress candidate Mithun Rai leading in Moodabidri.
8:20: BJP takes early lead in the initial trends of the counting of votes. BJP is leading on 40 seats while the Congress is ahead on 33 seats.
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Messi mania grips Kolkata as thousands welcome Argentine icon at 2.26 am
Kolkata (PTI): Thousands braved the December chill and waited past midnight to give a rousing welcome to Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025.
The Barcelona legend's 2.26 am touchdown in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy. Gate 4 of the international arrivals turned into a roaring sea of chants, flags and flashing phones, with fans sprinting between gates for even a fleeting glimpse of their favourite star.
Children perched on shoulders and drums rolled as Messi was whisked out through the VIP gate under massive security. A heavy convoy then escorted him to his hotel, where another huge crowd was waiting deep into the night.
Barricades, police deployment, and non-stop cheering completed a citywide eruption of "Messi mania."
Messi arrived with long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the next 72 hours, he will zip across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, meeting chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities and eventually Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
Sleepless wait ends in disappointment
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Despite keeping vigil through the night, the wait ended in disappointment for many fans as they could not catch a glimpse of their icon.
Heavy security meant Messi was whisked out of the airport and taken to his hotel around 3.30 am through a back entrance, giving hundreds of waiting supporters a complete miss.
Only a handful of lucky airport staff managed a fleeting glimpse of the Argentine superstar as he stepped off the private Gulfstream V, looking dapper in a black suit over a white T-shirt, before being driven straight off the tarmac.
The Hyatt Regency lobby turned chaotic as fans sprinted across corridors shouting "Messi! Messi!" that echoed well past dawn.
The lobby resembled an Argentine fan club, dotted with sky-blue jerseys, scarves and flags. Breast-feeding infants clung to mothers, children raced around, and exhausted supporters sank into lobby sofas as the frenzy built up.
Messi checked into Room 730, with the entire seventh floor sealed off to ensure no movement around his suite.
With security at its peak, some fans who could afford it booked rooms in the hotel to stay as close to Messi as possible.
A family from New Alipore checked in a day early just so that their son, Krish Gupta, a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, would not miss a Messi moment.
"I'm a die-hard Ronaldo fan, so what? His biggest rival is coming to my city and I cannot miss the moment. So we planned to stay in the hotel a day in advance," said Krish, a Class 9 student of Birla High School.
He roamed the coffee shop with his mother and elder sister, anxious for a peek at the icon.
"I just want to tell him to play football with me. And if I'm not successful, I will go to the gym tomorrow morning to catch a glimpse of him. I have my autograph book ready and hopefully I will get a selfie."
High hopes
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Satadru Dutta, the sole promoter of the tour who received Messi at the airport, said the moment was historic for Kolkata.
"In 2011, he had come after becoming the captain, but now he is coming after winning the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d'Or. So, this is really special. I don't think he will come again, so it's about celebration," Dutta told reporters.
He said Messi's presence could give Indian football a real push.
"Never ever have so many sponsors come together for a football star. You can say this is for Messi, but even if 10 per cent of that money comes to the development of Indian football, it would be very big. This statue that has come up and will be unveiled in the morning is also the first-of-its-kind in the world. Messi is set to leave a legacy behind this time," he added.
Security was tightened across the city ahead of Messi's GOAT India Tour, with policemen at every crossing, sniffer dogs checking vehicles and heightened surveillance around the hotel.
Staff were busy preparing the themed decor, including two large three-layered fondant cakes in Christmas colours.
Outside the airport and later near the hotel, massive crowds braved the winter chill to welcome Messi.
Fans waved Argentina flags and jerseys, screamed his name and broke into chants as emotions ran high, some clapping, some crying, many overwhelmed at witnessing a once-in-a-generation legend in their city.
The Hyatt Regency became the epicentre of the frenzy, with street vendors selling scarves, flags and Messi No 10 jerseys.
A few fans turned up in wigs and full Argentine colours. "This is a lifetime opportunity. We will not sleep tonight and will head straight to the stadium in the morning. Today is celebration day," said one fan.
The Itinerary
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Messi begins his GOAT India Tour on Saturday with a sponsors' meet-and-greet before heading to the Salt Lake Stadium for a tribute programme featuring music, dance and an exhibition match between Mohun Bagan 'Messi' All Stars and Diamond Harbour 'Messi' All Stars.
He is scheduled to arrive at 10.50 am for interactions with both teams, a felicitation of Bengal's Santosh Trophy-winning side and a "Master Class with Messi" for kids. Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Shah Rukh Khan will join the proceedings, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries invited.
Messi will take a lap of honour before a virtual unveiling of his 70-foot statue at Lake Town.
He will then depart for Hyderabad at 2.05 pm for the evening leg at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, featuring a short exhibition match, a five-minute appearance by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a football clinic and felicitation.
He then heads to Mumbai for his event at the Wankhede. The leg will also feature a 45-minute philanthropic fashion event with Suárez and De Paul, preceded by a Padel Cup at the CCI.
The tour ends in Delhi where Messi will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minerva Academy's triple youth-trophy winners will be felicitated, followed by a nine-a-side celebrity match.
Kolkata's tryst with footballers
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Kolkata's bond with football royalty dates back to 1977 when Pele's New York Cosmos played a 2-2 draw against Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens.
Pele returned in 2015 to greet the class of '77, telling the crowd: "You can never have another Pele."
Brazil's Dunga, Bebeto and Mauro Silva, and Colombia's René Higuita who showcased his scorpion-kick saves in 2012 all drew big turnouts. German great Oliver Kahn's 2008 farewell match at Salt Lake Stadium pulled more than one lakh spectators.
But no one stirred the city like Diego Maradona, whose 2008 and 2017 visits saw near-unprecedented crowds line the streets and stadiums. Uruguay's Diego Forlán, fresh from his Golden Ball win, received a similarly rousing welcome in 2010.
Then in 2011, Messi had visited the city captaining Argentina for the first time on foreign soil, leading them to a 1-0 win over Venezuela in an FIFA international friendly before a packed Salt Lake Stadium.
