Karnataka Bypolls: Congress faces internal rift over choice of candidate in Davanagere South, Bagalkot

Factional politics is likely to intensify within the ruling Congress ahead of bypolls to the Davangere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies, as the party struggles to arrive at a consensus on candidates.

With differences persisting, Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, rushed to Bengaluru on Friday (March 20) and held discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar to finalise candidates.

The party is expected to announce its nominees over the weekend after clearance from the high command.

The last date for filing nominations for the April 9 elections is Monday (March 23), while withdrawals can be made until Thursday (March 26).

Davangere South

Friday (March 20) saw Mines and Geology Minister S.S. Mallikarjun’s son Samarth filing his nomination, without being named by the party. If officially nominated, he is expected to refile his papers on Monday (March 23).

Mr. Samarth expressed confidence that he will secure the Congress ticket. “I filed my nomination today as it is an auspicious day. I will file my nomination again on March 23 along with State leaders,” he said.

In the 2023 Assembly elections, Mr. Samanth’s grandfather, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, whose death has necessitated the bypoll, had defeated BJP candidate B.G. Ajay Kumar by a margin of 27,888 votes.

Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Mr. Mallikarjun, currently represents the constituency in Parliament.

The early filing of the nomination has not gone down well with sections of the minority community, which constitutes nearly 30% of the electorate (an estimated around 60,000 voters) in the constituency.

B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, Housing Minister, Abdul Jabbar, Congress MLC, and several local leaders have demanded that the party field a candidate from the Muslim community. However, Mr. Mallikarjun is reportedly lobbying strongly for his son’s candidature to retain the family’s hold over the seat.

Some Congress leaders, including Basavaraju V. Shivaganga, MLA, have also supported the demand for a minority candidate.

The BJP has fielded Srinivas Dasakariyappa, State vice-president of its ST Morcha, from the constituency.

Bagalkot

In Bagalkot, the Congress faces internal differences within the family of late H.Y. Meti over the choice of candidate.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held discussions with Meti’s children to arrive at a consensus, but differences have persisted. As Meti, whose death has necessitated the bypoll, belongs to the Kuruba community, the byelection is seen as politically significant for the Chief Minister.

Though the results may not affect the government’s stability, the party’s chances of victory will improve if it contains factionalism in both constituencies, sources in the party said.