The Congress wrested control of the crucial Karnataka from the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly election, boosting its prospects ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year. The Congress ended up winning 135 of Karnataka's 244 seats - a record in terms of both seats and vote share. The BJP could only win 66 seats and HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal (Secular) 19 seats. Accompanied by state Congress president DK Shivakumar, veteran leader Siddaramaiah and AICC in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala at a victory ceremony on Saturday evening, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Those who wanted to make 'Congress Mukt Bharat' (Congress-free India) spoke many things against us but today one thing has come true and that is 'BJP Mukt Dakshin Bharat' (BJP free South India)."