The byelections for the Davangere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies concluded on Thursday, April 9, with voter turnout recorded at 68.55% and 68.70%, respectively. The Election Commission of India said the polls were conducted smoothly and peacefully barring minor incidents. The two seats are crucial for the Congress, which came to power in May 2023 with 136 seats. Retaining both constituencies would allow the party to maintain its original strength in the Assembly.
The byelection was conducted after the demise of the two veteran Congress leaders who held these seats. The Davangere South seat was held by Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who passed away on December 14, 2025, while the Bagalkote seat was held by Hullappa Yamanappa Meti, who passed away on November 4, 2025.
The Congress has nominated Shamanur’s grandson, Samarth Shamanuru Mallikarjun, and HY Meti’s son, Umesh Meti, in Davangere and Bagalkote respectively. In contrast, the BJP has fielded Srinivas T Dasakariyappa and former MLA Veeranna Charantimath for the respective constituencies.
During the polls, tensions rose between the Indian National Congress and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) near a polling station in Millath Colony in Davangere, as workers were simultaneously campaigning for their respective symbols. This escalated into verbal arguments, and tensions nearly turned physical before being quickly contained by police forces.
Bagalkot brought with it its own controversy after a video was circulated allegedly showing a Congress worker, Jaffar Bepari, distributing cash to large crowds of voters. The incident took place in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and Vambe Colony in the Navanagar area. BJP candidate Veeranna Charantimath accused the Congress of using money and muscle power to influence voters.
In response, the Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner said on X, “The matter has been inquired into immediately and an FIR has been registered at Navanagar Police Station, Bagalkot… further investigation is under progress.”
Since the Model Code of Conduct came into force, enforcement teams have seized cash totalling Rs 94.03 lakh, sarees valued at Rs 1.20 lakh, and nine vehicles.
The elections also ran into a few minor technical complications. For instance, in Kanakanagonahalli, a technical issue was noticed in the VVPAT unit during the mock polling session, which led to a brief delay before the actual voting began. Similarly, in Shiramagondanahalli, a glitch in the EVM led to technicians being called, resulting in a temporary suspension of polling until the issue was resolved.
Through the byelection results, both major parties aim to cement their position in Karnataka, as Congress leader Siddaramaiah seeks to establish his dominance in the party and the government. The BJP hopes that a victory here would be the first step towards an eventual win for state president BY Vijayendra in the 2028 state elections.