Karnataka Bypolls April 9 2026: Voting Underway in Davangere South and Bagalkot

Polling is currently in progress for the Davangere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies in Karnataka. Voting commenced this morning at 7 a.m. and will conclude at 6 p.m. today, April 9, 2026. Reports indicate a steady turnout of voters, with early queues observed, particularly in Davanagere South.

The by-elections were triggered by the passing of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa in Davanagere South and H.Y. Meti in Bagalkot. A total of 34 candidates are competing across the two seats. In Davanagere South, 25 individuals are vying for the position, while nine are in contention for the Bagalkot seat.

In Davanagere South, the primary contest appears to be between Congress candidate Umesh Meti and BJP's Veeranna Charantimath. The constituency has approximately 2.31 lakh voters.

For Bagalkot, early reports mention a notable contest between Congress's Umesh Meti and BJP's Veeranna Charantimath. This seat has an electorate of about 2.59 lakh voters. It's worth noting that Umesh Meti in Bagalkot is the son of the late former minister H.Y. Meti. Veeranna Charantimath is identified as a Veerashaiva Lingayat, while Umesh Meti is from the Kuruba community.

Political parties made their final appeals to voters yesterday, April 8. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged support for Congress candidates, while the Bharatiya Janata Party expressed confidence in securing a victory.

Some reports suggest internal party dynamics at play. Disgruntlement within the Muslim community in Davanagere South has been noted as a potential concern for the Congress. In Bagalkot, reports indicate dissent within the Meti family regarding candidate selection for the ticket.

Security and logistical arrangements are in place across the 332 polling stations established for the by-elections.

The by-elections for Davanagere South and Bagalkot constituencies were announced following the demise of the respective sitting MLAs. The process for nomination and withdrawal of candidates concluded earlier in March.