Welfare schemes helped us win Karnataka bypolls: Congress
The Congress secured a resounding victory in the Karnataka bypolls, winning all the three contesting seats and giving significant blows to the BJP and JD(S)
The Congress secured a resounding victory in the Karnataka bypolls, winning all the three contesting seats and giving significant blows to the BJP and JD(S). The results are seen as an endorsement of Congress’s welfare schemes and governance, strengthening its position in the state assembly while eroding long-held strongholds of its rivals.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah described the bypoll results as an affirmation of his government’s policies and welfare programs. “You know what Mahatma Gandhi said. He said people’s court is better than the courts. Now people’s court has given me its verdict,” he remarked. Siddaramaiah also criticised the BJP and JD(S) for their negative campaigns, adding, “They resorted to fake allegations and a misinformation campaign against us, but the people have seen through it.”
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar echoed Siddaramaiah’s sentiments, emphasizing that the welfare schemes had played a pivotal role in the victory. “Our guarantees and development played a major role in the bypolls. Ultimately, criticisms perish, and work remains intact. This has been proved,” he said, adding that the results set the stage for the 2028 assembly elections.
In Shiggaon, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan of Congress emerged victorious, defeating BJP candidate Bharath Bommai by a margin of 13,448 votes. Bharath, son of former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, was unable to retain the seat, which had been a BJP bastion for decades. Basavaraj Bommai had vacated the constituency after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Haveri-Gadag earlier this year.
In Channapatna, Congress’s CP Yogeshwar defeated JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy by an emphatic margin of 25,413 votes. Nikhil, son of Union minister HD Kumaraswamy and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, had been campaigning to retain the JD(S)’s traditional stronghold. However, Yogeshwar’s victory delivered a severe blow to the JD(S), particularly in the Ramanagara district.
Despite concerns over the controversial racist slur by minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan against HD Kumaraswamy, which raised fears of alienating the Vokkaliga community, the Congress successfully garnered their support. Analysts also highlighted the pivotal role of Muslim voters, who shifted allegiance to the Congress after previously backing Kumaraswamy in elections when he was not aligned with the BJP.
In Sandur, E Annapoorna, wife of Congress MP E Tukaram, secured a victory by defeating BJP’s Bangara Hanumantha with a margin of 9,649 votes. The bypoll for the reserved Scheduled Tribe constituency was necessitated after Tukaram won a Lok Sabha seat. Minister Santosh Lad played a crucial role in quelling internal dissent over Annapoorna’s candidacy, unifying party workers behind her campaign and maintaining the Congress’s dominance in Sandur.
With these victories, Congress increased its tally in the Karnataka assembly from 134 to 137 seats, further solidifying its position with the support of an independent MLA.
The Congress leadership credited its grassroots-level strategy for the clean sweep. Leaders such as DK Shivakumar, Satish Jarkiholi, and Santosh Lad coordinated efforts across constituencies, ensuring the effective mobilization of voters.
Shivakumar, in his early campaigning, which began in August, set the stage for Congress’s strong performance. Working closely with his brother and former Congress MP DK Suresh, Shivakumar spearheaded efforts to mobilize support at the panchayat level even before the bypoll dates were announced, said leaders in the know of the development. “The push for adding Channapatna to Bengaluru was a campaign that sustained voters’ interest,” said a senior party leader.
Similarly, minister for public works Satish Jarkiholi was instrumental in consolidating AHINDA votes, particularly in Shiggaon. His ability to unify minorities, backward classes, and Dalits under a single platform was pivotal in securing Congress’s first win in the constituency in three decades.
Commenting on the Shiggaon constituency, political analyst Ashok Chandaragi said: “Over the last four assembly elections, Congress consistently fielded Muslim candidates here but couldn’t achieve victory. This time, however, the party effectively consolidated AHINDA votes.”
“Earlier campaigns for Muslim candidates in Shiggaon often lacked luster and sometimes veered into communal issues. In this bypoll, Congress successfully brought together AHINDA votes, which include around 18,000 Scheduled Tribe voters in the constituency. Leaders like Satish Jarkiholi, Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Shivananda Patil played a key role in consolidating support from AHINDA groups and Panchamasali Lingayats,” he said.
Labour minister Santosh Lad’s involvement was crucial in Sandur, where he quelled dissent within the party and ensured a united front. “Lad’s deep connections with the constituency, despite it being reserved for ST candidates since 2008, proved invaluable. His personal involvement in the campaign, from addressing grievances to overseeing polling day logistics, solidified Congress’s dominance in the region,” he added.