With counting underway for the Bagalkot bypoll, Congress candidate Umesh Meti continued to extend his lead after 13 rounds, securing 53,849 votes and leading BJP rival Veerabhadrayya Charantimath, who has polled 43,528 votes, by a margin of 10,321 votes. Counting is being held at the University of Horticultural Sciences.
The voting for the by-election held on April 9, with 68.73% polling was recorded
Early trends showed the ruling Congress leading in Bagalkot, while the opposition BJP was ahead in Davanagere South as counting of bypoll votes progressed on Monday.
In Davanagere South, BJP's Srinivas T Dasakariyappa was leading ahead of Congress party's Samarth Mallikarjun by a margin of 577 votes.
Nine and 25 candidates were in the fray, respectively in the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly segments.
The polls were necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).
According to the Election Commission, Congress party's Umesh Meti was ahead of BJP's Veerabhadrayya Charantimath by a margin of 5,016 votes.
Although the outcome of these by-elections is unlikely to have an immediate impact on state politics, the contest is seen as a matter of prestige for both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.
While the Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP aims to wrest them and deliver a setback to the ruling party, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
There has been speculation that a decision on leadership change and the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle is likely after the May 4 results.
According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Bagalkot was 68.74 per cent, and it was 68.43 per cent in Davanagere South.
Poll officials said the clear picture regarding the results may emerge by midday.
The BJP fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress gave tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies.
Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Samarth's father, S S Mallikarjun, is a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet and in charge of Davanagere district, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Member of Parliament from the region.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, H Y Meti defeated BJP's Charantimath by a margin of 5,878 votes in Bagalkot, while Shivashankarappa defeated BJP's B G Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
Adequate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the counting and to ensure that no untoward incidents happen during or after the declaration of results, according to top police officials.
Necessary arrangements have been made at the counting centres - University of Horticultural Sciences in Bagalkot and DRR School at Davanagere.
According to election officials, 14 tables each have been set for vote counting on EVMs at counting centres both in Bagalkot and Davanagere South assembly segments, where nine and 25 candidates were in the fray, respectively.
In Bagalkot, special arrangements have also been made for scanning QR codes of postal ballots received from service voters. For this, a supervisor, assistant and two assistant election officers have been appointed.
In all, 63 personnel, including reserve staff, have been deployed for counting duties. A public address system will be used to provide regular updates from the counting centre, he said.
Sangappa informed that prohibitory orders under Section 163 will be in force from 6 am on May 4 to 6 am on May 5. Additionally, the sale and supply of liquor will be banned within a 10-km radius of the Bagalkot Assembly constituency from 6 am to midnight on May 4. Mobile phones have been strictly prohibited inside the counting centre.
The BJP is looking to make gains in the bypolls and energise its cadre ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections.
For the Congress, retaining both seats is crucial, as a loss could be seen as a negative verdict on the performance of the Siddaramaiah-led government.
Muslim disgruntlement appears to be a concern for the Congress in Davanagere South.
With 14 of the 25 candidates in the fray belonging to the community, there are apprehensions within the party about a split in votes, which could benefit the BJP.
Given its significant presence in the constituency, the Muslim community strongly demanded the Congress ticket for Davanagere South; the party fielded late MLA Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth.
This is said to have caused disgruntlement among the community and Muslim leaders within Congress.
Although the Congress persuaded a rebel candidate Sadiq Pailwan to withdraw, he remained in the fray as the move came after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations.
Congress, after the polls, even took action against some Muslim leaders of the party following allegations of "internal conspiracy" to defeat the candidate in Davanagere South.
The action included MLC K Abdul Jabbar being suspended from primary membership and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah relieving another MLC, Naseer Ahmed, from the post of CM's political secretary.
Speculations are rife that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face disciplinary measures during the next cabinet reshuffle.
So, the Davanagere South results are crucial for Khan as well.
Following these actions, some Muslim clerics and leaders had openly warned the grand old party.
In Bagalkot too, the Congress faced initial dissidence, with other members of Meti's family seeking the ticket.
However, Siddaramaiah's intervention helped resolve differences to an extent, and they campaigned together.
The BJP, in contrast, saw little dissidence over candidate selection, with its leaders campaigning in unity.
Leaders of Congress and the BJP have expressed confidence about their parties winning both seats.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, H Y Meti defeated BJP's Charantimath by a margin of 5,878 votes in Bagalkot, while Shivashankarappa defeated BJP's B G Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
(With inputs from PTI)
