Sat Nov 23 11:17:50 UTC 2024: ## Congress Sweeps Karnataka By-Elections, Defeating Prominent Opponents
**Bengaluru, Karnataka –** The Indian National Congress (INC) has secured a resounding victory in all three Karnataka Assembly constituencies that held by-elections on November 13th, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The wins represent a significant blow to the opposition BJP and JD(S), particularly given the high-profile nature of some of the candidates.
In Channapatna, Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwara defeated JD(S)’s Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, by a comfortable margin of 25,413 votes. This victory is especially notable given the combined campaigning efforts of BJP and JD(S) leaders in support of Kumaraswamy.
In Shiggaon, Congress candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan lost to BJP’s Bharath Bommai, son of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, but final results are still pending and are subject to change.
In Sandur, Congress candidate E Annapurna, wife of sitting MP E Tukaram, secured a win against BJP’s Bangaru Hanumanthu.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar hailed the Congress victories as a “message from the people,” interpreting the results as a rejection of the previous BJP government’s performance and a mandate for the Congress’s development agenda. He stated that the wins mark the beginning of a return to power for the Congress in 2028.
The by-elections were necessitated by the election of the previous representatives to the Lok Sabha in May. The contests saw intense battles, particularly in Channapatna, where the third generation of the Gowda and Bommai families were pitted against each other.
First Piper 