Davanagere South and Bagalkot bypolls put Karnataka’s Congress and BJP to the test

Since Congress has accommodated dynasts in both constituencies, the BJP has a strong chance of winning both the segments, he said.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed confidence that the party would secure both the seats. “People are satisfied with the programmes provided by the government. Our five guarantee schemes have offered support to people. We will win both seats,” he said.

While the choice of candidate in Davanagere South became a contentious issue for the ruling Congress, the relevance of expelled BJP legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who campaigned for the party in Bagalkot, turned into a headache for some in the party.

Davanagere South

Davanagere South, represented by veteran leader Shivashankarappa, was offered to his grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun, by the Congress. Since Muslims make up over a third of the constituency’s electorate, Muslim legislators have demanded that a candidate from the community be fielded.

Although they followed the party’s decision to field Shivashankarappa’s grandson, the move sparked resentment among Muslim voters, as seen in demonstrations held shortly after the Congress candidate was announced.

Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who lobbied for a Muslim candidate, was notably absent for a major part of the campaigning in Davanagere South and was busy seeking votes for the Assembly polls in nearby Kerala. He joined the campaign just two days before the public campaign ended on April 7.

The Congress also had to cajole the rebel candidate, Sadiq Pahilwan, to withdraw his nomination papers.

The division of minority votes has kept Congress in tenterhooks, while raising hopes of BJP candidate Srinivas T Dasakariyappa. The saffron party hopes that a consolidation of other community votes would help it sail through, despite some BJP leaders acknowledging in private the challenges it faces.

“Lingayats are the second most populous in the segment, and the Congress candidate is from the community, and the grandson of a prominent Lingayat leader. It will be a close contest if Muslim votes are split,” said a BJP leader.

Bagalkot

Continuing the ‘tradition’ of fielding kin of deceased MLAs, Congress has fielded Umesh Meti, son of former MLA H Y Meti, in Bagalkot. The ruling party faced another headache while picking a candidate in the constituency, as all four children of Meti had staked a claim for the seat. In a truce brokered by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the family agreed to back Umesh days before the final date for filing nomination papers.

Veeranna Charantimanth, a three-time MLA who lost the 2023 polls, is the BJP’s candidate. Basangouda Patil Yatnal, a popular face in parts of Karnataka for his aggressive right-wing stance, was among the BJP’s star campaigners, despite his expulsion from the party more than a year ago.

Though Charantimath is learnt to have invited Yatnal to campaign, it has not sat well with a section of BJP leaders. Yatnal was removed from the party as he ignored repeated directions from the party leadership to stop targeting BJP Parliamentary Board member and former CM B S Yediyurappa, and his son, BJP state president and MLA BY Vijayendra.

The bypolls to the Davangere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The votes will be counted on May 4.