The counting day is here. Officials are ready. But then the keys to the EVM strongroom in Karnataka are missing, delaying the vote count. A man, with a hammer and chisel, is having a go at the locks, trying to find a way into the all-important room, with security personnel standing guard. The room contains the ballots for Davanagere South bypolls.
The polls were necessitated by the death of Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The votes will also be counted for Bagalkot bypolls.
Although the outcome of these by-elections is unlikely to have an immediate impact on state politics, the contest is seen as a matter of prestige for both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.
While the Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP aims to wrest them and deliver a setback to the ruling party, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in Bagalkot was 68.74 per cent, and it was 68.43 per cent in Davanagere South.
The BJP is looking to make gains in the bypolls and energise its cadre ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. For the Congress, retaining both seats is crucial, as a loss could be seen as a negative verdict on the performance of the Siddaramaiah-led government.
Given its significant presence in the constituency, the Muslim community strongly demanded the Congress ticket for Davanagere South; the party fielded late MLA Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth.
Congress, after the polls, even took action against some Muslim leaders of the party following allegations of "internal conspiracy" to defeat the candidate in Davanagere South.
Speculations are rife that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face disciplinary measures during the next cabinet reshuffle. So, the Davanagere South results are crucial for Khan as well.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, Shivashankarappa defeated BJP's BG Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
