Congress workers celebrate at Ramnagar in Channapatna constituency as the party won the byelection on November 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Bhagya Prakash
The ruling Congress in Karnataka is jubilant after winning Legislative Assembly bypolls in all three constituencies of Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur
All three constituencies witnessed a direct fight between the Congress and Opposition BJP-JD(S) alliance. While the Congress wrested Channapatna and Shiggaon seats from the JD(S) and the BJP, respectively, it retained the Sandur seat.
With these results, the Congress tally in the Karnataka Assembly went up to 137.
With these defeats, two former Chief Ministers — H.D. Kumaraswamy and Basavaraj Bommai — have lost their families’ hold in Channapatna and Shiggaon constituencies, respectively.
Channapatna
Congress party’s C.P. Yogeshwar won from Channapatna and he defeated Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Mr. Kumaraswamy of the JD (S), now Union Minister for Heavy Industries.
The film actor-turned-politician Mr. Yogeshwar defeated Mr. Nikhil by over 25,000 votes. Mr Yogeshwar secured more than one lakh votes, while Mr Nikhil bagged more than 77,000 votes. Mr Kumaraswamy vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha from Mandya.
The Assembly segment had attracted wide attention owing to two Vokkaliga leaders – Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar and Mr Kumaraswamy involved in aggressive campaigns.
Shiggaon
In Shiggaon constituency, Bharat Bommai, son of Mr. Basavaraj Bommai, lost to Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan of the Congress. Mr Pathan secured close to 99,000 votes while Mr Bharat bagged close to 85,000 votes.
Mr Bommai has represented the constituency since 2008. He vacated the seat following his election to the Lok Sabha from Haveri constituency.
Sandur
In Sandur (ST) constituency, Annapurna, wife of party MP for Ballari E. Tukaram, won against BJP candidate Bangaru Hanumanthu. She defeated the BJP candidate by a margin of over 10,000 votes. Ms Annapurna secured 93,051 votes while Mr Hanumanthu bagged 83,483 votes.
Mr Tukaram vacated the seats following his election to the Lok Sabha from Ballari.
Former mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, MLA, and the BJP leaders extensively campaigned in the Sandur constituency to wrest the seat from the Congress.
Congress guarantee schemes helps party
The Congress party’s impressive performance comes close on the heels of the opposition BJP and JD (S) alliance levelling several charges of corruption against the Siddaramaiah-led government. The BJP and JD (S) alliance extensively used these alleged scams in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and the alleged multi-crore scam in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribal Development Corporation and demanded a CBI probe and resignation of Chief Minister owing moral responsibility for the embezzlement of ₹187 crore of the Corporation.
The results have apparently endorsed the five guarantee schemes of the Congress government, and results would also enable Mr Siddaramaiah to become stronger in the coming days.
The BJP’s allegations of “minority appeasement”, mounted on the back of of the Congress seems to have not worked in the polls either. Housing and Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Khan’s “racial” remark against Mr. Kumaraswamy has not resonated in the elections.
The voters seem to have reposed faith in the Congress again, after it was confined to a single digit in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 Parliament elections.
Mr Yogeshwar said the emotional talk and sentiments did not work in the polls. “My team and the Congress team worked together for my victory. The voters are losing confidence in the Deve Gowda family,” he said.
D.K. Suresh, former MP, and brother of Mr Shivakumar, said voters have sent a stern message to the Congress on the continuation of guarantees and taught a lesson to the Opposition for baseless allegations against the government in all three regions of the State.
Mr Suresh said the voters of Channapatna gave a clear message to the NDA alliance and two former chief ministers. The verdict provided a clear message to Mr. Kumarasway and former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H.D. Deve Gowda.
Published – November 23, 2024 01:28 pm IST
