In a significant boost for the Congress party in Karnataka, it has retained both the Bagalkot and Davangere assembly seats in the recent bypolls. The party's candidates emerged victorious with comfortable margins, defeating their Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rivals. The bypolls, held on November 3, saw a voter turnout of around 70% in both constituencies.
Bagalkot Victory
In Bagalkot, Congress candidate H.Y. Meti secured a decisive win over BJP's Veerabhadrappa Halakki. Meti polled 95,678 votes, while Halakki got 72,345 votes, giving the Congress a margin of 23,333 votes. The seat fell vacant after the death of sitting Congress MLA Veerabhadrappa Halakki's son, who had won the 2018 elections.
Davangere Triumph
In Davangere, Congress candidate Dr. K. Shadakshari defeated BJP's S.A. Ravindranath by a margin of 15,678 votes. Shadakshari secured 87,678 votes against Ravindranath's 72,000 votes. The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Congress MLA G. Mallikarjunappa, who joined the BJP.
The victories have strengthened the Congress's position in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, with its tally now reaching 68 seats in the 224-member house. The BJP, which rules the state, has 119 seats. The Congress has been in opposition since the 2019 elections when the BJP formed the government under Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Both parties had campaigned aggressively for the bypolls, with senior leaders addressing rallies and door-to-door campaigns. The results are seen as a morale booster for the Congress ahead of the 2023 assembly elections in the state.
