Political parties in Karnataka are keenly awaiting the outcome of the bypolls to one Lok Sabha seat and two assembly segments, counting for which will get underway on Sunday. The voting took place for Belgaum Lok Sabha and Maski and Basavakalyan assembly constituencies on April 17.
There were 30 candidates in the fray — 10 in Belgaum, 12 in Basavakalyan, and eight in Maski. The bypolls to Belgaum and Basavakalyan took place following the demise of the sitting public representatives Suresh Angadi (BJP) and B Narayan Rao (Congress) due to Covid-19, while Maski seat fell vacant due to the disqualification of Congress MLA Prathapagouda Patil.
Patil was among Congress MLAs who had resigned from the Assembly in 2019, was disqualified and later joined the BJP later to contest the bypoll on the party ticket.
The contest in Belgaum and Maski is mainly between Congress and the BJP. In Belgaum, the BJP had fielded Late Suresh Angadi's wife Mangala Suresh Angadi against Congress Karnataka working president Satish Jarkiholi, the Yamkanmardi MLA.
In Maski, BJP's Pratapagouda Patil was in a direct fight against Basanagouda Turvihal of Congress.
JD(S) contested only in Basavakalyan, fielding Syed Yasrab Ali Quadri, while the Congress nominee was Rao's wife Mallamma and Sharanu Salagar was chosen by the BJP.
The victory or defeat will not have any bearing on the stability of the BJP government which has a majority with 118 seats (excluding speaker) in the house of 224 members. A win will, however, increase Yediyurappa's hold in the party, as well as the government and silence his critics within the party, who want him to be removed.
If the Congress wins the bypolls, it will give ammunition to target the government on the issue of 'failure' to provide good governance and check corruption.