Karnataka By-elections 2024: Voting Underway in Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur

Bengaluru: By-elections are being held today in the Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur Assembly constituencies of Karnataka, where voters will decide the fate of the candidates. Among these, the Channapatna constituency has attracted significant attention for various reasons. Here’s an overview of the status in each constituency.

Channapatna: Nikhil vs. Yogeshwar

Of the three constituencies, Channapatna in Ramanagara district has become a battleground, drawing intense focus. For the ruling Congress and the alliance parties BJP and JD(S), Channapatna is a prestigious seat. NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy is competing against CP Yogeshwar from Congress, along with 32 other candidates in the fray.

Channapatna has a total of 2,32,949 voters, including 1,12,324 male and 1,20,617 female voters, with 8,338 young voters exercising their right to vote. A total of 276 polling stations have been set up, with 62 in urban and 214 in rural areas. Among these, 119 are classified as sensitive. Additionally, there are 8 special polling stations, 5 Sakhi polling stations, 1 for differently-abled voters, 1 youth polling station, and 1 traditional polling station. ASI-level officers have been deployed across 54 cluster polling stations, along with the deployment of 8 paramilitary forces and a security staff of 1,252, including PRO and APRO personnel.

Caste Dynamics in Channapatna

Channapatna has a significant Vokkaliga voter base, with around 1.05 lakh voters, making this group decisive. Additionally, there are 40,000 SC voters, 32,000 Muslim voters, 21,000 OBC voters, 8,000 Kuruba voters, and over 10,000 from other communities.

Shiggaon: Bharat vs. Yasir Khan Pathan

In Shiggaon, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s son Bharat Bommai is contesting from BJP, facing Yasir Khan Pathan from Congress among the 8 candidates in total. There are over 2 lakh voters in Shiggaon as well.

Shiggaon has a total of 2,37,525 voters, comprising 1,21,443 males and 1,16,076 females. There are 241 polling stations, of which 92 have been marked as sensitive. Security includes one ASP, four DYSPs, 12 CPIs, 24 PSIs, 68 ASIs, with a total of 716 personnel deployed.

Caste Dynamics in Shiggaon

Lingayat votes hold sway here, with 85,000 Lingayat voters, 58,000 Muslims, 27,000 Kurubas, 52,000 SC/STs, and 15,000 from other communities.

Sandur: Annapurna vs. Bangaru Hanumanthu

In Sandur, Bellary district, a direct contest is seen between Congress’s Annapurna Tukaram and BJP’s Bangaru Hanumanthu, with a total of 7 candidates in the fray.

Sandur has 2,36,100 voters, including 1,18,282 females and 1,17,789 male voters. A total of 253 polling stations have been set up, 55 of which are marked as sensitive. For election duty, a total of 1,215 personnel, including three DYSPs, six CPIs, 14 PSIs, 22 ASIs, 193 head constables, and 14 KSRP units, amounting to over 1,500 security personnel, have been deployed.

Caste Dynamics in Sandur

Sandur is an ST-reserved constituency, with ST votes being decisive. There are 68,000 ST, 40,000 SC, 38,000 Lingayat, 34,000 Kuruba, 20,000 Muslim, and 40,000 other community votes.

Overall, a “festival of voting” is taking place across the three Assembly constituencies. The results are expected to be announced on November 23.