Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) Karnataka's recent bypolls have ignited a fierce political clash, drawing an impressive 81.84% voter turnout across three constituencies as per the State Election Commission’s data.
With the Congress, BJP, and JD(S) locked in a heated contest, voters showed up in droves, signalling high stakes and close contests that could sway the region’s political balance.
The star of the show was Channapatna, where NDA-backed Nikhil Kumaraswamy squared off against Congress heavyweight C P Yogeshwar. This high-profile battle pushed voter turnout to a stunning 88.8%, eclipsing the 2023 Assembly polls.
Known for its roller-coaster campaigns, Channapatna has now become a focal point of Karnataka politics, with Nikhil aiming to keep his father HD Kumaraswamy’s legacy alive in the seat he vacated to join the Union Cabinet.
Meanwhile, over in Shiggaon, all eyes were on former CM Basavaraj Bommai’s son, Bharat Bommai, who took on Congress' Yasir Pathan. The constituency recorded an 80.48% turnout, as voters weighed in on the BJP’s generational candidate in this emblematic battle.
Sandur, an ST-reserved constituency, wasn’t left out of the excitement either. Here, Annapurna, wife of Congress MP E Tukaram, faced BJP’s Bangaru Hanumantha, with voter turnout hitting 76.24%. In a region known for its deep-rooted support of tribal leadership, the contest in Sandur has become one to watch as candidates vie for community backing.
The strong turnout across all three constituencies indicates that voters were galvanized by the high-stakes campaigning of the past two weeks, with all three parties determined to secure these critical seats.
As early trends suggest a close finish, each party is banking on this support to carry them through, making Karnataka’s political stage more electric than expected.
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