Cong wins Bagalkot, Davanagere South; BJP bags Sringeri after recount twist

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress held on to two crucial assembly seats, while the BJP snatched a late victory in Sringeri after a recount reversed the earlier result, adding a dramatic twist to the outcome, in the Karnataka bypolls. Congress scored a comfortable win in Bagalkot, where Umesh Meti, son of former minister H Y Meti, defeated BJP's Veerabhadrayya Charantimath by 22,332 votes, consolidating the party's position in a constituency it had narrowly won in 2023. In Davanagere South, Samarth Mallikarjun, son of minister S S Mallikarjuna and grandson of late MLA Shamnur Shivashankarappa, emerged victorious by a slender margin of 5,708 votes. He polled 69,578 votes against BJP's Srinivasa T Dasakariyappa, who polled 63,870 votes. The contest remained tight throughout, with Samarth trailing in early rounds before gaining ground in later stages. In 2023, Shamnur Shivashankarappa had won the same seat by over 27,888 votes.The results come as a relief for chief minister Siddaramaiah amid leadership tensions with his deputy D K Shivakumar.The Davanagere South result also reflected a fragmented mandate. Fourteen Muslim candidates contested, collectively drawing over 60,000 votes, many reportedly going to the SDPI candidate. This split has been linked to dissatisfaction among sections of the Muslim community over Congress ticket allocation.In a parallel development in Sringeri following three days of procedural uncertainty, BJP's D N Jeevaraj was declared elected over Congress candidate T D Rajegowda by just 52 votes after a recount overturned the initial result. The returning officer issued the election certificate after clearance from the Election Commission, altering the assembly arithmetic. Congress now plans to challenge the result legally.CM Siddaramaiah said, "This mandate reflects both the achievements of our govt and the enduring strength of the party's ideology. Despite misinformation campaigns and the influence of money power, voters in both constituencies reaffirmed their trust in the Congress and our governance." D K Shivakumar echoed the sentiment, attributing the results to voter support for the party's welfare schemes. "People have noted that our govt is not only implementing the five guarantee schemes but also ensuring efficient governance. The support is clear for us to return to power in 2028," he said.On the narrow win in Davanagere South, he added, "We expected a bigger margin there. We have been informed that EVM-VVPAT verification is pending in some areas. Around 1,500 votes are yet to be counted, and with a current lead of about 4,900 votes, our candidate's victory is almost certain. The official announcement is pending. The SDPI candidate secured around 19,000 votes. In politics and elections, 49 is equivalent to zero and 51 is equivalent to a hundred."He also highlighted Bagalkot's strong showing. "In Bagalkot, we won by a narrow margin in the last election. This bypoll, our candidate has won by 22,332 votes. In rural areas, families told our workers that the guarantee schemes have improved their lives," he said.GFXDavanagere South PositionCandidatePartyVotesWinnerSamarth Shamanur MallikarjunaINC69,578Runner-upSrinivasa T. DasakariyappaBJP63,8703rdAfsar KodlipeteSDPI18,9754thD Syed RiyazIndependent1,1865thKhadar Adil BashaIndependent1,082Bagalkot PositionCandidatePartyVotesWinnerUmesh Hullappa MetiINC98,919Runner-upCharantimath Veerabhadrayya (Veeranna)BJP76,5873rdAnthosh SavvaseUttama Prajaakeeya Party5214thRavi Shivappa PadasalagiIndependent3895thAnand JakatiIndependent198
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