Bengaluru: The early trends as counting is underway in 29 counting centres show that BJP ahead in 19 seats in Karnataka.
Shortly after counting started with postal votes, the Congress marked leading in nine and JD(S) in two.
Top leaders of the state to emerge in early trends included JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (BJP) leading in the Mandya and Dharwad Lok Sabha segments, respectively.
Over 13,000 polling staff deployed are at work in counting centres updating results.
Though Karnataka is ruled by Congress, most exit polls predicted the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning most of the seats.
The predictions put the grand-old party in single-digit seats.