Congress Wins Bagalkot By Election, Maintains Strong Lead in Davanagere South

The ruling Indian National Congress has secured a significant victory in the by election held in Bagalkot, reinforcing its position in the state. Party candidate Umesh Mety maintained a steady lead from the very first round of counting and carried that advantage through to the final result.

He defeated senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former MLA Veeranna Charantimath after a closely fought contest.

The seat had fallen vacant following the death of senior Congress leader and former minister H Y Mety. The party fielded his son Umesh Mety, a move that appears to have worked in its favour. Observers say a combination of sympathy votes, local influence, and the state government’s welfare initiatives contributed to the win.

The campaign in Bagalkot saw active involvement from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior minister Satish Jarkiholi, who spent considerable time in the constituency mobilising party workers and voters. The victory is being seen as an important political boost for the state leadership, especially as the BJP had put in strong efforts to capture the seat.

Meanwhile, early trends from the by election in Davanagere South constituency indicate that Congress is on track for another win. After 14 rounds of counting, Congress candidate Samarth Mallikarjun has taken a clear lead over BJP candidate Srinivas Dasakariyappa.

According to the latest figures, Congress has secured 46,460 votes, while the BJP stands at 39,037 votes, giving Congress a lead of 7,423 votes.

The performance of Social Democratic Party of India candidate Afsar Kodlipete has also drawn attention, as he holds third place with 15,303 votes. Analysts believe that the presence of SDPI and the division of minority votes have influenced the electoral dynamics, though the advantage currently remains with Congress.

Overall, the results and trends from both constituencies suggest a positive outcome for Congress in Karnataka’s latest electoral contests.