NEW DELHI: India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trailing the main opposition Congress party in a key election in a southern state, television channels showed on Saturday.

The election in Karnataka is the first of five critical state polls this year which are seen as setting the tone for parliamentary elections due in April and May 2024.

It is also the first big electoral face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP and Congress since its leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted of defamation in March and lost his seat in parliament as a result.

Modi’s party bids to retain power in south Indian bastion

The BJP is leading in 70 to 75 seats in Karnataka against 115 to 120 for Congress, the channels showed.

Karnataka, which was ruled by BJP, voted on Wednesday and votes are being counted on Saturday.

The state legislature has 224 seats, and a party needs 113 to win a simple majority.