Congress encouraged by one win and a narrow loss in Karnataka bypolls

Retaining Maski Assembly seat and putting up an impressive fight in Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency seem to be the bypoll takeaways for the Congress, which only last week won six out of 10 ULBs that w

Retaining Maski Assembly seat and putting up an impressive fight in Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency seem to be the bypoll takeaways for the Congress, which only last week won six out of 10 ULBs that went to the polls in the State. Though partial, leaders believe that the success in these bypolls would boost the morale of party workers as despite a huge number of Ministers making it to the election arena, the Congress polled impressive numbers. The bypolls coming about two years before the next Assembly elections also meant they were being seen as a performance indicator of the B.S. Yediyurappa-led BJP government in COVID-19 times. They were also seen as a test of the leadership of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief D.K. Shivakumar. In the midst of rumours that he had a hand in the CD scandal involving BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, brother of the Congress candidate in Belagavi, this election was particular watched.