Karnataka bypolls: Cong ahead in all three Assembly seats

Ruling Congress in Karnataka was ahead in all three — Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur — Assembly segments, as the counting of votes is underway on Saturday for by-polls held there.

Congress has been maintaining a steady lead in Sandur, since counting began earlier in the day and it has now also emerged as the front-runner in Channapatna and Shiggaon segments, where JD(S) and BJP were leading earlier, according to Election Commission numbers.

The by-election to three segments was held on November 13.

The bypolls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna were necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives — E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) to Lok Sabha in May elections.

The bypolls witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA took on the grand old party.

In Channapatna, which witnessed a “high profile” battle, among the three segments, JD(S)’ actor-turned-politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is the son of Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s grandson, is trailing against Congress’ C P Yogeeshwara by a margin of 19,793 votes, by getting 41,472 votes so far, according to Election Commission.

A five-time MLA from the segment and a former minister, Yogeeshwara, who is also an actor-turned-politician has secured 61,265 votes. He had joined the Congress after quitting the BJP ahead of his nomination.

BJP and JD(S) leaders had together campaigned for Nikhil in Channapatna.

In Shiggaon, BJP’s Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai is trailing with a margin of 1,158 votes against Congress’ Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former chief minister in the 2023 Assembly polls.

While Bharath Bommai has got 43,399 votes, Pathan has got 44,557 votes so far, according to the Election Commission.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram’s wife E Annapurna of Congress has maintained her lead in the seat vacated by her husband, against BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, by a margin of 6,562 votes.

While Annapurna got 67,124 votes so far, Hanumanthu secured 60,562 votes.

With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai contesting, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai families were in the fray in this bypoll battle. Both their fathers and grandfathers have served as Karnataka’s Chief Ministers in the past.