Karnataka Urban Local Body Election Results: Karnataka voters have once again thrown a surprise election mandate. The state, which rejected Congress and Janata Dal - Secular alliance in Lok Sabha elections 2019 only months after electing them to power in state assembly, has once again reposed its faith in it.

The elections to 1,361 wards, spread across eight city municipal councils, 33 town municipal councils and 22 town panchayats, were held on May 29.

The results of Karnataka Urban Local Body Elections, counting for which is still underway, has put Congress in a comfortable lead against BJP.

By 08:30 pm, Congress had won 509 seats, while BJP was at 336 and JD(S) had secured victory at 174 seats. Independents took 160 wards, while BSP and CPM won on three and two seats respectively.

Karnataka Urban Local Body Election Results (Source: NIC)

BJP has fared better in town panchayats as it has won on 126 of the 290 declared seats, while Congress has secured 97 wards. Congress, on other hand, has swept the urban areas. The party has won 90 of the 217 declared wards in city municipality wards and 322 of the 714 town municipality wards. BJP secured 56 and 184 seats respectively.

Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao tweeted, "Congress wins 509/1221 of the #KarnatakaUrbanLocalBodiesElections Winning almost 42% of the seats, it clearly shows that the people of Karnataka are with the Congress. What surprises me is how did BJP lose after winning by huge margins in the Loksabha. Needs investigation."

@INCIndia wins 509/1221 of the #KarnatakaUrbanLocalBodiesElections



Winning almost 42% of the seats, it clearly shows that the people of Karnataka are with the Congress.



What surprises me is how did BJP lose after winning by huge margins in the Loksabha. Needs investigation. pic.twitter.com/wa9uRcMp4r May 31, 2019

Urban local body polls are considered as the barometre to measure the mood of the electorate. In 2018, 105 urban local bodies in Karnataka had gone to polls. The Congress won 982, the BJP 929 and the JD(S) 375. Independent candidates won in 329 wards.

Voting pattern in Karnataka’s local body polls, assembly polls and Lok Sabha elections show that electorate pick leaders at different levels for different reasons.

In assembly elections, the Karnataka had thrown a fractured mandate as BJP secured 104 seats, while Congress and JD(S) managed to form the government by combining their respective 80 and 37 seats in a house of 224.

In the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP swept Karnataka by winning 25 out of the 28 seats, whereas the Congress bagged just one.

In the ongoing urban local body polls, Congress has left BJP far behind.

(Final result is pending and this story will be updated soon to reflect the latest numbers.)