Published Mar 23, 2026 | 6:21 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 23, 2026 | 6:21 PM
[LTR] Siddaramiah and DK Shivakumar with Umesh Meti and Smarth Mallikarjun respectively.
Synopsis: The Congress in Karnataka has named Umesh Meti and Samarth Mallikarjun as its candidates for the 9 April bypolls in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, respectively. The decision has triggered discontent within the Muslim community in Davanagere South, where the community has demanded representation for over a decade, leading ticket aspirant Mohammad Sadiq Pailwan to enter the fray as an independent.
The ruling Congress in Karnataka has announced its candidates for the 9 April bypolls for the Davanagere South and Bagalkot Assembly constituencies.
Umesh Meti, son of HY Meti, and Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa, have been nominated from Bagalkot and Davanagere South, respectively. Meti and Shivashankarappa’s deaths in November and December 2025 triggered the bypolls.
Since coming to power in 2023, Congress has won all four bypolls in the state—Shorapur in May 2024, and Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon in November 2024—but the upcoming contest is unlikely to be smooth.
The nominations, announced on Sunday, 22 March, have triggered discontent within the Muslim community. The decision comes amid persistent demands for a Muslim candidate in Davanagere South, where the community forms a key part of the electorate.
The seat has been a Congress stronghold for a decade, with Shivashankarappa, from the Lingayat community, holding it uninterrupted since 2013.
Congress leader Mohammad Sadiq Pailwan, an aspirant for the ticket, has announced that he will fight the bypoll as an independent. He filed his nomination on Friday without a “B” form from the party.
“As the Congress has finally decided not to identify minorities, the minorities along with AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) communities will teach a lesson to the party in this election,” he said.
Pailwan alleged that leaders from minority and backward communities are being neglected despite strong backing in the constituency.
Earlier, Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, a member of the Davanagere South Assembly by-election in-charge committee, was also pushing for the ticket to go to a Muslim candidate.
The names of MLC Abdul Jabbar and KPCC vice-president ARM Hussain were also floated.
Notably, Mallikarjun filed his nomination papers on Friday, two days before the party announced his candidature. The next day, several Muslim leaders met AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala to raise the demand again.
Muslim legislators in the party said the demand for representation has been raised since the delimitation in 2008.
“At the time, Syed Saifullah was given a ‘B’ form but it was withdrawn at the last minute,” Congress leader Tanveer Sait told South First.
In 2013, Abdul Jabbar’s name was also floated, but Shivashankarappa was nominated, he said.
In 2023, Shivashankarappa said it would be his last election. “He had also said they would ensure that a minority community candidate would get a ticket next time. Hence, the demand took off in the community,” Sait added.
Muslim leaders said it has become common practice to give tickets to family members of deceased leaders. “This is our claim but we are still with the party. We have not said the ticket should not go to someone,” Sait said.
The Congress leader added that there is resentment at the grassroots level.
“We have asked community leaders to convince them and ensure that the party candidate is victorious,” he said.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed allegations that the party was encouraging “family politics” and said it had given tickets to “winnable” candidates.
“It has been a practice to field family members of deceased leaders in bypolls,” Shivakumar told reporters on Monday.
He said the party would give representation to the Muslim community in polls to the Karnataka Legislative Council and appoint members as heads of corporations to “bring justice”.
“There is no confusion in the party. One person has filed his nomination as a rebel. He is a close friend of Shamanur Shivashankarappa. We are discussing with him and others and will make everything right,” he added.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
