The Congress party has revealed its candidates for the upcoming by-elections in two Assembly segments in Karnataka. Despite internal conflicts within the party, Umesh Meti and Samarth Mallikarjun have been nominated for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South constituencies, respectively. These seats were previously held by the Congress, with senior leaders like H.Y. Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa representing them.
The party has strategically chosen the son of late H.Y. Meti for Bagalkot and the grandson of late Shamanur Shivashankarappa for Davanagere South. Due to tough competition among contenders in both areas, the selection process took time. The decision on the candidatures was approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
In Bagalkot, the party considered various aspirants, including the daughters and son of H.Y. Meti, before finalizing the candidate. In Davanagere South, there was a strong push from Muslim leaders to field a candidate from the minority community due to the significant number of minority voters in the constituency. Despite challenges, the party opted for family members of the previous seat holders.
Senior leaders, led by Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, intervened to resolve differences among party members. The selection of the Davanagere South candidate faced hurdles, with Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan reportedly threatening to resign if a minority candidate was not chosen. However, the party leadership stood firm on its decision to nominate Samarth Mallikarjun.
