Bengaluru, April 9 Over 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, where bypolls were held on Thursday, as the Congress is aiming to retain these key seats, while the BJP seeks to gain ground there.
According to the Election Commission, the turnout in Bagalkot was 68.70 per cent, and it was 68.55 per cent in Davanagere South.
The polls were necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South). Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
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.
A total of over 2.59 lakh voters were eligible to cast their votes at around 319 polling stations in Bagalkot, where nine candidates were in the fray.
In Davanagere South, over 2.31 lakh were eligible to vote across 284 polling stations, with 25 candidates contesting.
Officials said elaborate security arrangements were made for the smooth conduct of bypolls.
In Bagalkot, a video circulating on social media alleged that money was distributed to voters.
"The matter has been immediately inquired into, and an FIR has been registered at the Navanagar Police Station, Bagalkot, and further investigation is underway," the Chief Electoral Officer's office said in a statement.
The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress has given tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. The 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 is in charge of the Davanagere district, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Member of Parliament from the region.
The BJP is looking to make gains in the bypolls and energize 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. Some party factions had opposed giving the ticket to the Shamanur family.
Although the Congress persuaded rebel candidate Sadiq Pailwan to withdraw, he remained in the fray as the move came after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations. He later extended support to the party candidate.
In Bagalkot too, the Congress faced initial dissidence, with other members of Meti's family seeking the ticket. 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.
Top state leaders from both parties campaigned extensively in the two segments. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and several ministers camped in and toured the constituencies for over a week. The BJP, however, took repeated digs at them, claiming it "reflected fear of defeat."
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.