Karnataka: Political parties gear up for bypolls in 3 constituencies
As per the schedule, voting will be held on November 13, and the results will be declared on November 23. The last date for filing nominations is October 23
Mangaluru: Political parties are gearing up for the by-elections in three constituencies after the Election Commission announced the dates on Tuesday.
The Election Commission of India declared that by-elections will be held in three assembly constituencies in Karnataka—Shiggaon, Sandur, and Channapatna. These seats fell vacant after the MLAs from these constituencies were elected as MPs in the recent parliamentary elections.
As per the schedule, voting will be held on November 13, and the results will be declared on November 23. The last date for filing nominations is October 23.
With the elections just a few days away, political parties are busy with preparations.
The BJP-JD(S) alliance aims to defeat Congress and put it on the back foot, while Congress leaders are leaving no stone unturned to secure victory. In the 2023 assembly elections, BJP, JD(S), and Congress each won one of these three seats.
Shiggaon, a seat held by former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai since 2008, is expected to witness a fierce contest between the Congress and BJP. Bommai won the seat for BJP in the 2008 election and repeated his victories in 2013, 2018, and 2023. However, in the 2024 parliamentary election, the Congress candidate for the Dharwad Lok Sabha seat secured about 8,000 more votes than the BJP candidate in the Shiggaon segment (which is part of the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency). This has raised hopes among Congress leaders.
In Sandur, E. Tukaram has been winning the seat for Congress since 2008. Sandur has traditionally been a Congress stronghold, except in the 1985 and 2004 elections, when Janata Dal and Janata Dal (Secular) won, respectively. The BJP, led by Gali Janardhan Reddy, is eyeing this seat in the upcoming election.
BJP state general secretary P Rajeev told Deccan Chronicle that the candidate selection process will be completed shortly.
"The core committee has discussed potential candidates. Our state president, B.Y. Vijayendra, will be in Delhi on October 21 to discuss the matter with central leaders, and the names will be announced after that," Rajeev said.
KPCC working president K. Vasanth Kumar, who is also in charge of the Sandur constituency, stated that the party is likely to announce its candidate in 4-5 days.