Karnataka bypoll election: BJP, Congress and JD(S) fight to retain current seats | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Early trends in the polls in Karnataka show the ruling parties having an edge in their respective constituencies. Congress Party leads in Sandur constituency, BJP dominates in Shiggaon and JD(S) leads in Channapatna
The counting of votes for the November 13 bypolls will take place in 3 segments.
There was a direct battle between the ruling Congress and the BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon constituencies, while in Channapatna, JD(S), a member of the NDA, was pitted against the Congress party.
The bypolls for Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna were initiated due to the vacancies created after their respective representatives – E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S) – were elected to the Lok Sabha in the May elections.
Of the three constituencies, Channapatna saw a ‘high-profile’ contest, with JD(S) actor turned politician Nikhil Kumaraswamyson of former CM HD Kumaraswamy and grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who led Congress’s CP Yogeeshwara.
Yogeeshwara, a former actor-turned-politician and five-time MLA from Channapatna, joined the Congress after quitting the BJP before his nomination. He was also a former minister.
BJP and JD(S) leaders had jointly campaigned for Nikhil in Channapatna.
In Shiggaon, BJP’s Bharath Bommai, son of former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, is leading against Congress’ Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who was defeated by the former chief minister in the 2023 assembly elections.
In Sandur, Congress’s E Annapurna, wife of Bellary MP Tukaram, is contesting the seat vacated by her husband against BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu.
With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai in the running, the third generation of the Gowda and Bommai families remain deeply involved in this bypoll fight as both their fathers and grandfathers previously served as chief ministers of Karnataka.