Bengaluru: The stage is set for polling in two Assembly segments, Davanagere South and Bagalkot, on April 9, with candidates making their final appeals to voters. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged voters to support Congress candidates, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed confidence that the Congress will face defeat in the bypolls.
Polling officials have put in place all necessary security and logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth voting process. Polling will begin at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm.
In the Bagalkot Assembly segment, there are 2.59 lakh voters and nine candidates in the fray. A total of 332 polling stations have been set up. The electorate includes 1.26 lakh male and 1.32 lakh female voters. Around 1,564 staff and additional security personnel have been deployed to manage and monitor the polling process.
Additional security arrangements have been put in place for sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths. Adequate security measures have also been put in place to ensure safe voting.
Bagalkot District Election Officer Sangappa said there is no need for voters to fear. Arrangements have been made for voters aged 80 or above to cast their votes from home. Those who wish to visit polling booths will be provided with wheelchair facilities.
The main contest in Bagalkot is between Congress candidate Umesh Meti and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Veeranna Charantimath. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of Congress MLA H.Y. Meti.
In the Davanagere South Assembly segment, authorities have set up 284 polling stations, of which 76 have been identified as sensitive. Prohibitory orders have been imposed within a 200-meter radius of polling stations. The constituency has 2.31 lakh voters, with 25 candidates in the fray. More than 1,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure safety.
The Congress has fielded Samarth Mallikarjun, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated Srinivas T. Dasakariyappa. Afsar Kodlipet is contesting as the Social Democratic Party of India candidate. The bye-election is necessitated by the demise of veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday evening appealed to voters in Davanagere South and Bagalkot to support Congress candidates in the by-elections scheduled for Thursday (April 9), highlighting the legacy of senior leaders and the need to ensure continuity in development.
Addressing voters in Davanagere South, he described the late Shamanur Shivashankarappa as a veteran Congress leader who dedicated his life to public service, serving as a six-time Member of the Legislative Assembly, a Member of Parliament, and president of the All India Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha.
He credited Shivashankarappa’s vision and hard work for the development of both the constituency and the district, and urged voters to elect the Congress candidate, Samarth Shamanur, to carry forward that legacy.
Siddaramaiah termed the election an ideological battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress’s secular values, cautioning voters against misinformation and divisive politics.
In Bagalkot, he recalled the contributions of the late H.Y. Meti, who served as MLA, minister, and MP, and worked for the welfare of all communities. Calling his death an irreparable loss, the Chief Minister said the by-election offers an opportunity to honour his legacy.
He urged voters to support Umesh Meti, stating that he would continue his father’s development agenda and represent the people’s voice in the Assembly.
On the other hand, Bharatiya Janata Party State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra appealed to voters in the Davanagere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies.
He said: “For the comprehensive development of the constituencies, I appeal to you to cast your valuable vote for T. Srinivas Dasakariyappa (Serial Number 2), the BJP candidate in the by-election in Davanagere South, and ensure his victory by the largest possible margin. I appeal to ensure the victory of Charantimath Veerabhadrayya (Veeranna) (Serial Number 2), the BJP candidate in the bye-election in Bagalkot, with a majority of votes for the comprehensive development of the Bagalkot constituency.”
Bharatiya Janata Party MLC C.T. Ravi stated that the Congress’s defeat is inevitable.
He said that, due to the state government’s poor governance, their loss is certain. If they had provided good governance, they would have won this bye-election.
However, they will lose in the general elections, he said in response to another question.
(IANS)
