In the Marathi-dominated Belagavi district with 18 assembly seats, the BJP won Nippani, Kudachi, Arabhavi, Belgavi Dakshin, Hukkeri, Kittur, Saundatti Yelamma, Raybag and Ramdurg seats. At last count, the BJP had won or was leading in 30 of the total 50 seats in the Bombay-Karnataka region spread over six districts. In the 2013 elections, the Congress had won 31 seats and the BJP 13 in this region that has a sizeable section of Marathi-speaking population. In the 2008 assembly elections when the BJP won 110 seats in the state, the region added 16 seats to its kitty. In the Belagavi district, the Congress won the seats of Chikkodi-Sadalga, Kagwad, Gokak, Yemkanmardi, Belagavi Rural, and Bailhongal till the last reports came in.

Source: Mint May 15, 2018 13:42 UTC