Karnataka Congress wins Davanagere South by 5,708 votes, Bagalkot by 22,332
Synopsis
Congress swept both Karnataka bypolls on 4 May, winning Davanagere South by 5,708 votes and Bagalkot by a landslide 22,332 — crediting its guarantee schemes. The results dealt a blow to the BJP, which had hoped to open its account in Davanagere South and was confident of Bagalkot.
Key Takeaways
Congress won Davanagere South by 5,708 votes and Bagalkot by 22,332 votes on 4 May .
Samarth Mallikarjun polled 69,578 votes , defeating BJP's Srinivasa T.
Dasakariyappa (63,870 votes) in Davanagere South.
Both bypolls were held following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H.Y.
Shivakumar attributed the wins to the party's guarantee schemes .
Vijayendra accepted the setback in Bagalkot and said the party would review its strategy.
Congress removed two MLCs during the campaign for allegedly working against its own candidate in Davanagere South.
The Indian National Congress swept both Karnataka bypoll results on 4 May, winning the Davanagere South Assembly seat by 5,708 votes and the Bagalkot Assembly seat by a commanding 22,332 votes. The twin victories are a significant boost for the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, which attributed both wins to its flagship guarantee schemes.
Davanagere South: Final Tally
Congress candidate Samarth Mallikarjun secured 69,578 votes after the 24th round of counting, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party's Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa, who polled 63,870 votes. The Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI)'s Afsar Kodlipet finished third with 18,975 votes.
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The party fielded his grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun, as its candidate. The BJP, contesting for its first-ever win in the Davanagere South segment, nominated Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa, a leader from the oppressed classes.
Notably, the Congress's candidate selection had triggered internal rifts — the party removed two MLCs from the minority community from their posts on charges of working against Samarth Mallikarjun. There were 15 Muslim contestants from the Davanagere South seat alone, underlining the constituency's complex electoral dynamics.
Bagalkot: A Lopsided Contest
In Bagalkot, the bypoll was triggered by the untimely demise of H.Y. Meti. His son, Umesh Meti, contested on a Congress ticket and defeated the BJP's Veeranna Charantimath by 22,332 votes. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly camped in Bagalkot for 15 days ahead of the vote, with multiple Cabinet ministers also stationed in the district.
What the Congress Said
Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar credited the party's guarantee schemes for the outcome.
Point of View
Despite the CM camping there for 15 days being cited as a negative signal, reveals a deeper problem: the party lacks a credible counter-narrative to the Congress's guarantee scheme messaging in Karnataka. Vijayendra's insistence that there were no internal differences rings hollow against the backdrop of Congress removing its own MLCs for working against the party candidate in Davanagere South — a reminder that bypoll arithmetic is rarely clean on either side.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the results of the Karnataka bypoll on 4 May?
Congress won both bypolls — Davanagere South by 5,708 votes and Bagalkot by 22,332 votes. Congress candidates Samarth Mallikarjun and Umesh Meti defeated their respective BJP opponents.
Why were the Davanagere South and Bagalkot bypolls held?
The Davanagere South bypoll was necessitated by the death of veteran Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, while the Bagalkot bypoll followed the untimely demise of sitting MLA H.Y. Meti.
Why did Congress attribute its wins to guarantee schemes?
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated that the government's guarantee schemes addressed voters' difficulties, which he credited as the decisive factor behind the party's strong performance in both constituencies.
How did the BJP respond to the bypoll losses?
BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra acknowledged a setback in Bagalkot and said the party would analyse the reasons with its leaders before formulating a fresh organisational strategy. He cautioned against reading the results as a general shift in voter sentiment.
Were there internal conflicts within Congress during the Davanagere South bypoll?
Yes, the Congress removed two MLCs from the minority community from their posts during the campaign on charges of working against its own candidate, Samarth Mallikarjun. There were also 15 Muslim contestants in the constituency.
