Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah campaigned in Davanagere South for the upcoming by-election on April 9, urging voters to support Congress candidate Samarth Shamanur. He framed the election as a choice between his government's welfare initiatives and the misinformation spread by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Siddaramaiah cautioned voters against supporting independent candidates, stating that such votes could indirectly benefit the BJP, particularly among minority communities. He emphasized that the responsibility of electing a party that supports the poor lies with these voters. Addressing criticisms regarding state borrowing, he defended his government’s record and invoked the legacy of senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa to reinforce his campaign message. Meanwhile, BJP leaders, including Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar, criticized the Congress government for failing to fulfill welfare commitments, citing significant discrepancies between announced and released funds for various development corporations. Sunil Kumar also raised concerns about the government's employment policies, claiming that the Congress administration has not allocated necessary funds for promised job recruitment.