Sat Nov 23 14:14:07 UTC 2024: ## Congress Sweeps Karnataka By-elections, Defeating BJP and JDS

**Bengaluru, [Date]** – The Congress party has achieved a resounding victory in the Karnataka by-elections held on November 13th in three assembly constituencies: Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur. These seats fell vacant after the winning candidates from the 2023 assembly elections vacated them to contest the Lok Sabha polls. The results represent a significant boost for the ruling Congress party and a setback for the BJP-JDS alliance.

In a closely watched contest, Congress candidate C.P. Yogeshwara secured a convincing win in Channapatna, defeating JDS’s Nikhil Kumaraswamy by a margin of over 25,000 votes. This marks Kumaraswamy’s third consecutive electoral defeat in his home turf.

In Shiggaon, Congress’s Yasir Ahmed Khan triumphed over BJP’s Bharat Bommai (son of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai) by a margin of over 13,000 votes. This defeat is a blow to the BJP’s efforts to cultivate a new generation of leaders.

Finally, in Sandur, Congress candidate E. Annapurna secured victory against BJP’s Bangaru Hanumanthu with a comfortable margin of around 10,000 votes.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar attributed the Congress’s sweep to the party’s development initiatives and the popularity of its guarantee schemes. He characterized the wins as a testament to public approval of the Congress government and a rejection of the BJP’s criticisms.

The by-election results are seen as a significant indicator of the political landscape in Karnataka ahead of the 2028 assembly elections. The Congress’s decisive victory suggests strong public support for the current administration. The BJP-JDS alliance, despite putting up a strong fight, ultimately fell short. The high-profile nature of some of the candidates, including Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharat Bommai, made these by-elections particularly significant.

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