Karnataka Municipal Election Result 2018 LIVE Updates: Counting for elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) across Karnataka is still underway with the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) hoping to extend their alliance.



So far, results have been declared on 2,267 out of 2664 seats in the Urban Local Bodies. Congress has won 846 seats, BJP wins 788, JD(S) win 307 and the Independent candidates have won in 277 seats. Considering the current trends in counting, political experts believe that the results could be hung at many places. JD(S) could play a crucial role here.



In the event of a party not getting majority on its own in the election, the Congress and JD-S have decided to forge a post-poll alliance to keep BJP out of power, similar to the May 12 state assembly elections which threw up a hung verdict.



The close fight between the three major parties in Karnataka has forced the chief minister to stay glued to the television set and cancel all engagements till lunch. Interestingly, many Independents are moving towards victory across the state.



Results will be in for 105 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which had witnessed moderate polling on Friday. As many as 814 candidates are in the fray to be elected to 135 wards in three City Municipal Councils, of which BJP, Congress and JD(S) have 130, 135 and 129 candidates respectively. There are also 350 independents contesting. A JD(S)-BJP coalition was in power in Mysuru and Shivamogga CMCs while a JD(S)-Congress coalition was in power in Tumakuru before being dissolved following notification for the polls.



In all, 8,340 candidates, including 2,306 from the Congress, 2,203 from the Bharatiya Janata Party and 1,397 from the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) are in the fray for the ULBs, while 814 contested from the city corporations, including 135 from Congress, 130 from BJP and 129 from JD-S. A record average of 67.5 per cent voter turnout was registered across the state for the civic polls.



The results for elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across Karnataka will be out by noon. The ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) and the Congress in Karnataka have said they would extend their coalition alliance to the urban local bodies (ULBs) across the state to keep the opposition BJP out of power.



"In the event of either party not getting majority on its own in the ULB elections, we will have post-poll alliance to rule the local bodies as we did to form the coalition government in the state after the May 12 assembly election threw a hung House with a split verdict," a JD(S) official said.



The local bodies across 24 districts of the state had registered an average voting percentage of 63.8, according to polling data from the State Election Commission.



Polling was conducted peacefully across the 2,662 wards of the state, spread over 29 city municipalities, 53 town municipalities and 23 town panchayats and in 135 wards of the three city corporations. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used for polling in all the wards amid tight security, with about 40,000 personnel deployed across the state to maintain law and order. A total of 36 lakh voters were registered for exercising their franchise in the ULB wards and 13.33 lakh in the three towns of Mysuru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru.



In all, 8,340 candidates, including 2,306 from the Congress, 2,203 from the Bharatiya Janata Party and 1,397 from the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) are in the fray for the ULBs, while 814 contested from the city corporations, including 135 from Congress, 130 from BJP and 129 from JD-S.



In the 2013 ULB elections held in 4,976 seats, the Congress had won 1,960 seats, while BJP and JD-S had won 905 seats each, while independents bagged the remaining 1,206 seats.



Here's a list of the corporations and councils, which had gone to polls:



Municipal Corporations (3): Mysore, Shimoga, Tumkur.



City Municipal Councils (29): Yadagiri, Surapura, Bagalakot, IIlakal,Mudhola, Jamakhandi, R Banahatti, Sirsi, Dandeli, Karwar, Mandya, Nippani, Gokak, Haveri, Raanebennur, Koppala, Ganagavathi, Raichur, Sindhanur, Ullala, Hassan, Arasikere, Chamarajanagar, Shahabad, Puttur, Udupi, Chitradurga, Challakere, Kollegala.



Town Municipal Councils (53): Madhugiri, Chikkanayakanahhali, Gurumitkal, Lakshmeshwara, Rona, Gajendragarh, Bhantawala, Channarayapatna, Holenarasipura, Sakaleshpura, Channagiri, Hosadurga, Hallikhed, Karkala, Kunakdapura, Haliyala, Kumata, Ankola, Maddur, Pandavapura, Nagamangala, Konnura, Mudalagi, Savadatti, Ramadurga, Baialahongala, Sankeshwara, Chikkodi, Hukkeri, Kudachi, Sadalaga, Hangal, Savanoor, Kushtagi, Piriyapattana, T Narasipur, H D Kote, Chincholi, Chittapur, Sedam, Jevargi, Afzalpur, Alanada, Manvi, Devadurga, Lingasugur, Mudgal, Muddebihala, Badami, Guledagudda, Mahalingapura, Teradala, Hunagunda



Town Panchayats (20): Yallapura, Mundagodu, Nagamangala-belluru, khanapura, Hatti, Shirahatti, Mulgunda, Naregal, Honnali, Jagaluru, Saaligrama, Kudutini, Kotturu, Beelagi, Kerur, Hirekeruru, Yalaburga, Koratagere, Gubbi, Rayabhag.