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Karnataka Byelection: Congress Wins Bagalkot, Davanagere South in Close Fight

Congress has won the Bagalkot Assembly bypoll with a massive margin of 22,332 votes, as candidate Umesh Meti secured 98,919 votes against BJP's 76,587. In Davanagere South, Congress candidate Samarth Mallikarjun is leading against BJP's Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa after 18 rounds of counting. The by-elections were necessitated by the deaths of sitting MLAs H.Y. Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The results are crucial for both ruling Congress and opposition BJP, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar's prestige at stake.

Key Points: Congress Wins Bagalkot Bypoll, Davanagere South Close

  • Congress wins Bagalkot bypoll with 22,332 vote margin
  • Umesh Meti secures 98,919 votes against BJP's 76,587
  • Davanagere South sees close contest with Congress leading
  • Bypolls held due to deaths of sitting MLAs H.Y. Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa
2 min read

Karnataka bypolls: Congress wins Bagalkot; Davanagere South sees close contest

Congress wins Bagalkot bypoll with 22,332 vote margin; Davanagere South sees close contest. Umesh Meti triumphs while BJP trails in key Karnataka elections.

"Every Congress worker and leader worked as if they themselves were the candidate. - Umesh Meti"

Bengaluru, May 4

The counting of votes for the Bagalkot Assembly segment in Karnataka has been completed, with Congress securing a huge victory margin of 22,332 votes.

Meanwhile, Davanagere South is witnessing a close contest and the Congress party is leading by 5,657 votes.

The Congress party workers are celebrating in the Bagalkot segment as the candidate has secured a win with a huge margin of votes. Bagalkot Congress candidate Umesh Meti has secured a decisive victory in the by-election. Meti polled a total of 98,919 votes, while the BJP candidate secured 76,587 votes at the end of the counting of all 23 rounds.

Responding to the development, Congress candidate from Bagalkot, Umesh Meti, stated: "Every Congress worker and leader worked as if they themselves were the candidate."

He further expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Minister for Textiles, Sugarcane Development and Sugar Shivanand Patil and Excise Minister R.B. Timmappur, and the entire cabinet.

Umesh Meti said he will focus on development in the constituency and fulfil his late father Meti's dream of establishing a medical college.

In the much-awaited Davanagere South constituency, BJP's Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa continued to trail against Congress candidate Samarth Mallikarjun. Srinivasa polled 54,335 while Samarth Mallikarjun has secured 59,992 votes after the 18th round of counting. There are a total of 21 rounds of counting. The Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI)'s Afsar Kodlipet managed to get 18,203 votes.

The results are crucial for both the ruling Congress party and the Opposition BJP.

In Bagalkot, the by-election was held following the untimely demise of H.Y. Meti. His son, Umesh Meti, is in a direct contest against the BJP's Veeranna Charantimath.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah campaigned extensively for the Congress candidate.

The Davanagere South bypoll was necessitated by the death of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The party fielded his grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun, as its candidate, while the BJP nominated Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa, a party leader from the oppressed classes.

Following allegations of anti-party activities, Congress removed two MLCs from party positions after announcing its candidate. The prestige of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is at stake, while the BJP is hoping to secure its first victory in this Assembly segment.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Davanagere South is still close! 5,657 vote lead for Congress but 21 rounds total. BJP can still catch up. And SDPI getting 18,203 votes is interesting - shows third parties can influence results in tight races. CM Siddaramaiah's prestige on the line here.
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Priya S
While Congress is celebrating, I hope they don't forget the real issues - water, jobs, education. Winning is one thing, governing is another. Bagalkot needs that medical college fast. Also, removing two MLCs for anti-party activities shows internal tensions in Congress. 🤔
V
Vikram M
Classic Karnataka politics! Bagalkot is settled but Davanagere South is the real drama. BJP hoping for first win there? Ambitious but tough. SDPI votes could be decisive - if they go to Congress in later rounds, it's game over for BJP. Let's see how the counting progresses.
N
Nikhil C
Umesh Meti's statement is spot on - "every worker worked as if they themselves were the candidate." That's the kind of ground-level energy Congress needs. But I'm watching Davanagere South closely - BJP fielded a candidate from oppressed classes, that might pull some votes. Smart political move.
K
Kavya N
Good to see democracy in action! But let's be honest - bypolls are often about local factors, not just party performance. The late H.Y. Meti's legacy and sympathy factor helped Congress in Bagalkot. In Davanagere, fielding the grandson of a veteran leader is classic dynasty politics. People should vote on issues, not names.

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