Karnataka bypolls: Congress scrapes through after Muslim vote scare in Davangere south

Davangere: Samarth Shamanur Mallikarjuna of the Congress, son of district incharge Minister S S Mallikarjun, managed to retain the Davangere South seat for his party by a margin of 5,708 votes, despite the division of Muslim votes by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). 

Also, it was the BJP’s best performance in the constituency since 2008, though the party’s candidate Srinivas T Dasakariyappa lost his maiden electoral battle.  

Afsar Kodlipete of SDPI gave the ruling party a run for its money, by obtaining 18,975 votes, thus reducing the victory margin of the Congress.

In the 2013 elections, Karekatte Syed Saifulla of the JD(S) had gained 26,162 votes in the segment and had finished runner up, pushing the BJP to the third spot.

Though there were Muslim candidates in the fray in successive Assembly polls - 2018 and 2023, none of them managed to poll more than 7,000 votes.

Congress workers celebrate the victory of party candidate Samarth Shamanur in the bypolls to Davangere South Assembly constituency. 

Former councillor Sadiq Pailwan of the Congress, who backed out from the fray following directions from the chief minister after the last date for withdrawal of his nomination, got 47 votes.

With this victory, the Congress continued its winning streak Davangere South since 2008.

Veteran Congress leader the late Shamanur Shivashankarappa had represented this seat four times in a row.

Now his grandson Samarth has taken on the mantle from him.

The Shamanur family’s strong bond with voters as people of the constituency are employed in mills, factories, hospitals and educational institutions run by them, guarantees of the state government, the family’s political dominance in the district as Samarth’s father Mallikarjun is a minister and mother Prabha is the MP and the huge respect for Shamanur Shivashankarappa among people of all communities proved beneficial for the Congress.

Lingayat vote division hits BJP 

BJP’s over-dependence on Hindu votes, failure to win over Muslim voters by visiting their households, absence of agents in 62 polling booths out of 284 in the constituency and the division of Lingayat community votes as BJP’s nominee Srinivasa T Dasakariyappa belonged to ST community proved detrimental to it.

Of the 2,31,072 voters, 1,58,131 exercised their franchise and 511 opted for NOTA.

Winner: Congress - 69,578 votes; Nearest rival: BJP - 63,870 votes