Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Monday, 4 May credited the state government's welfare guarantee schemes for the Indian National Congress party's performance in two Karnataka by-elections, speaking at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Bengaluru and separately in Kanakapura. Shivakumar thanked party workers, leaders, and voters, asserting that the results reflect public confidence in the Congress government's governance record.

Bypoll Results: Bagalkot and Davanagere South

In Bagalkot, the Congress candidate won by a margin of 22,332 votes — a sharp improvement from the previous election, where the party had secured the seat by a margin of approximately 5,000 votes. In Davanagere South, Shivakumar said Congress held a lead of around 4,900 votes with approximately 1,500 votes still to be counted at the time of his remarks, with the official announcement still awaited. Both constituencies had fallen vacant following the deaths of sitting Congress legislators, making these bypolls a direct mid-term test of the ruling party's standing.

Welfare Schemes Cited as Decisive Factor

Shivakumar pointed to the state government's flagship guarantee schemes as the primary driver of voter support. "Our welfare schemes have been warmly welcomed by the people. Beneficiaries of schemes like Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti, and Yuva Nidhi treated our workers with respect during the campaign and said these schemes have improved their lives," he said. He added that rural households in Bagalkot, in particular, had told campaigners the guarantees had brought tangible improvements. This comes amid sustained Opposition criticism that the schemes strain the state's fiscal position — a charge the Congress government has consistently rejected.

SDPI Vote Share and Internal Dissent

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate secured approximately 19,000 votes in Davanagere South, which Shivakumar acknowledged had reduced the Congress victory margin there. "In politics, 49 is treated as zero, and 51 is considered 100," he said, indicating confidence in the eventual outcome. On reports of internal differences affecting the Davanagere result, he noted that Shamanur Shivashankarappa had held the seat since 1995 and said that while differences of opinion may exist among individuals, there had been no change in party leadership. He deflected questions on reduced vote share, saying a review would be conducted at an appropriate time, and described disciplinary action linked to the bypoll as an internal party matter.

Congress Eyes 2028 Karnataka Assembly Elections

Shivakumar framed the bypoll outcomes as an early signal for the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. "They have sent a message that they will support us to return to power in 2028," he said, crediting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Cabinet colleagues, legislators, and district and block-level party functionaries for their campaign effort. He also noted that despite criticism from Opposition parties, voters had not withdrawn support from the Congress government. Notably, this is the first electoral test for the Congress government since completing two years in office.

What Happens Next

The final vote count for Davanagere South was still pending official declaration at the time of Shivakumar's press conference. The party has indicated it will conduct an internal review of the reduced margin in that constituency and examine the SDPI vote share to prevent similar outcomes in future contests. With the bypoll results broadly in Congress's favour, the ruling party is expected to project the outcome as a mid-term endorsement of its welfare-driven governance model ahead of 2028.