Byelections to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka to be held on October 30

The byelections assume significance as they will be the first electoral test of Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP who was appointed as the Chief Minister of Karnataka in August.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The byelections will be his first electoral test after being appointed Chief Minister.

In a press release issued on September 28, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has provided the schedule for byelections to three parliamentary constituencies and 30 Legislative Assembly constituencies across the country. Of these, byelections for two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, Sindgi and Hangal, will be held on October 30 and the counting will be taken up on November 2. The byelections were necessitated by the deaths of M.C. Managuli, the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) leader who represented the Sindgi constituency in Vijayapura district, and C.M. Udasi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who represented the Hangal constituency in Haveri district.

The byelections assume significance as they will be the first electoral test of Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP who was appointed as the Chief Minister of Karnataka in August. Bommai expressed confidence that the party will win. “The people are with us. The party organisation is active even at the booth level. We will win in both constituencies,” he said.

Leaders from the two main opposition parties in Karnataka, the Indian National Congress and the JD (S), also expressed confidence that they will emerge victorious. Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of the JD (S) said: “We will contest in both the constituencies. Our party has a good base in both these places and we will put in our maximum effort to win.”

D.K. Shivakumar, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said: “We have already finalised the candidate for one constituency. Once we finalise the second candidate, we will forward the name to the ‘high command’.” Ashok Managuli has been selected by the Congress for the Sindgi constituency. He is the son of M.C. Managuli and switched over from the JD (S) to the Congress in February this year.