Bengaluru, May 15: The counting of votes for the Karnataka assembly elections 2018 have begun at 8 AM on Tuesday in nearly 40 counting centres. The Election Commission is expected to declare all the results of Assembly Elections in the state by late evening on Tuesday.  Watch live streaming of Karnataka Assembly Election Results 2018 on Aaj Tak and India Today Live TV, via the embedded link below. As the counting is all set to begin at 8 am, catch live updates of the elections results here.

Voting for the 224-member assembly was held on May 12 amid high security across Karnataka. Polling started at 7 AM and continued up to 6 PM.

Catch live updates of Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 on India Today

Catch live updates of Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 on Aaj Tak in Hindi

The election in Karnataka is a major power tussle between the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). Karnataka is one of the three states where Congress managed to be in power while the BJP rose to power in rest of the states and Union territories in the country. It must be noted that several exit polls have predicted a hung Assembly in Karnataka. Political analysts believe that such an outcome on the counting day will propel former prime minister HD Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) into the role of a kingmaker.

Going by the exit poll results, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would emerge the single-largest party when votes are counted on Tuesday. The voter turnout for the polling on May 12 was recorded to be 72.13%. This is higher than the 71.45 % turnout in the 2013 elections, and the 65 % turnout registered in 2008 and 2004.

Over 2,600 candidates were in the fray-- more than 2400 men and over 200 women. The total voters including service electors according to the 2018 final rolls are 5,06,90,538, of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters. Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 12002 have been designated as "critical", with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty. On the polling day, Police had made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday claimed that the party will get more than 150 seats and they will form the government in the state. "It is an auspicious day, everyone should come out and vote. We (BJP) will get more than 150 seats and I'm gonna make the government on 17th May," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 15, 2018 07:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).