BJP announces candidates for Bagalkote and Davangere South constituencies, Congress yet to decide
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP on Thursday announced its candidates for the upcoming Assembly bypolls in Karnataka’s Bagalkote and Davangere South constituencies, which have fallen vacant, necessitating fresh elections.
The party has fielded Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkote and Srinivas T Dasakariyappa from Davangere South, following the approval of its Central Election Committee.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the BJP’s Central Election Committee held on March 18 under the chairmanship of party leader Nitin Nabin, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and other members in attendance.
The bypolls were necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, which resulted in vacancies in the Davanagere South and Bagalkote Assembly segments respectively.
The BJP said the names were finalised after due deliberations by the committee for various assembly by-elections being held across states in 2026.
The announcement comes amid heightened political activity in Karnataka, with parties gearing up for the bypolls that are seen as a key test of strength at the constituency level.
The relatives of Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti are demanding Congress tickets.
Congress is yet to announce its candidates though Meti's family members met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, who is also Congress state unit president, and demanded a ticket.
Siddaramaiah on Wednesday told reporters that three members from the Meti family had sought the ticket—Mallikarjun, Umesh, and Mahadev, to contest from Bagalkote.
Shivashankarappa's son S S Mallikarjun, who is Congress Davangere North MLA, is demanding ticket for his son Samarth Shamanur for Davangere South, Congress sources said.
"In all likelihood, Samarth may get the ticket," a Congress leader told PTI.
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