Karnataka bypolls: High command to decide candidates, says CM Siddaramaiah

Bagalkot: Affirming the Congress’s preparedness to face the upcoming byelection to the Bagalkot and Davangere South Assembly seats, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the Congress high command would take a decision on the candidates to be fielded at the hustings.

“The elections could be announced within a week’s time. Anybody can aspire for the party ticket,” Siddaramaiah told journalists in Bagalkot.

Asked if the party was likely to field a member of H Y Meti’s family, the CM added, “They are certainly in contention. But we can issue the ticket to only one member from any family.”

Participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for the government medical college, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar pointed to the Congress’s impressive showing in the byelections that had been held since the Assembly elections in 2023.

“The Congress emerged triumphant despite the sons of former CMs Basavaraj Bommai and H D Kumaraswamy being fielded against us in those bypolls. Bagalkot is our seat. We must ensure that our candidate polls more votes than Meti in the byelection,” said
Shivakumar.