Chamarajanagara (Karnataka)

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that the ruling Congress will win both the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly seats, where bypolls were held on April 9.

The bypolls 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.

“We will win both seats,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question.

The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a first-time candidate, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.

The Congress has fielded family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

Responding to the controversy over the Congress not fielding a Muslim candidate from Davanagere South and the resulting discontent among some community leaders, the CM said, “When the high command decided on the candidate, minority community leaders were present. The decision was made in their presence, and they had accepted it. Why did some of them oppose it later?”

A day after the bypolls, a group of Muslim leaders—among them Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Saleem Ahmed, MLAs Rizwan Arshad and Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, and MLC Bilkis Bano—alleged that certain party members from the minority community conspired to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South. They did not name anyone.

They said the party had named Samarth Mallikarjun as the candidate after considering all factors and taking Muslim leaders into confidence. Despite this, a campaign—allegedly involving some within the party—projected the Congress as having “betrayed” minorities by denying them the ticket.

Following the allegations, the Congress suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from primary membership, while Siddaramaiah relieved another MLC, Naseer Ahmed, of his duties as the chief minister’s political secretary.

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Speculation is rife that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face disciplinary action during the next cabinet reshuffle.

Khan, Jabbar, and Naseer Ahmed had sought a ticket for a Muslim candidate from Davanagere South. Allegedly miffed over the party’s decision to field Samarth Mallikarjun, the three leaders did not actively participate in the campaign.