Congress Leads Bagalkot Bypoll By 17,205 Votes After 21 Rounds Of Counting
Congress maintains strong lead in Bagalkot bypoll, victory expected as counting nears completion.
The Congress party has taken a decisive lead in the Bagalkot Assembly bypoll counting, with candidate Umesh Meti ahead by 17,205 votes after the 21st round of counting, officials and party sources confirmed on Monday. With only two rounds remaining, party workers have already begun celebrations, signalling growing confidence of an assured victory.
According to the counting data, Umesh Meti secured 87,624 votes, while BJP candidate Veeranna Charantimath polled 70,419 votes. The Congress maintained a consistent lead from the first round through the 21st round, steadily widening the margin as counting progressed. The by-election was conducted to fill the vacancy caused by the death of sitting MLA H.Y. Meti, making this contest emotionally significant for the Congress camp.
Celebrations broke out among Congress workers in Bagalkot as the lead widened beyond 17,000 votes. Supporters were seen bursting firecrackers, distributing sweets, and carrying portraits of candidate Umesh Meti. Many party workers also performed traditional celebrations by throwing gulal, while expressing confidence that the final rounds would confirm their victory.
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The contest in Bagalkot was seen as a direct face-off between Umesh Meti and BJP’s Veeranna Charantimath, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah actively campaigning for the Congress candidate. Party leaders believe the sustained lead reflects voter support for the party’s local leadership and the emotional connect created after the passing of H.Y. Meti, whose son has now entered the electoral fray.
In a parallel update from another bypoll in Davanagere South, Congress candidate Samarth Mallikarjun was also leading against BJP’s Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa. After 11 rounds of counting, Mallikarjun secured 37,419 votes compared to 29,503 votes for his opponent, indicating a comfortable advantage for the Congress in that constituency as well.
Reacting to the developments, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that the Congress would win both Bagalkot and Davanagere South bypolls. He acknowledged that the victory margin in Davanagere might be narrower but said the party was still on course to win. He also commented on broader election trends in other states, stating that results in Assam were expected, while Congress performed better than anticipated in Kerala, and noting possible anti-incumbency factors in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
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