BANGALORE: The BJP on May 25 stormed to power for the first time in south India winning the Karnataka assembly elections but fell short of a majority by a whisker of three seats. Making a steady growth on the back of a saffron agenda in the wake of the Ramjanambhoomi movement of the early nineties, the BJP secured 110 seats, three short of a majority in the 224-strong assembly in an election in which Congress improved on its previous performance bagging 80 seats.

66-year-old B S Yeddyurappa, who suffered the ignominy of the shortest serving Chief Minister for seven days last year, is expected to take oath as the new Chief Minister on May 28. The BJP legislature party meeting has been called in Bangalore to elect Yeddyurappa as its leader after which he will meet the Governor to stake claim to form the government. Buoyed by the victory, BJP leadership said it has made the party the frontrunner in the race for power in the next coming Lok Sabha elections.

The JD(S), which enjoyed power in the company of both Congress and BJP and pulled the rug from under the saffron party's feet last November, suffered heavily securing only 28 seats, 30 less than in 2004.