Campaigning for the by-elections in Davanagere South and Bagalkot constituencies in Karnataka has concluded as of Tuesday evening, with polling set for April 9. The elections were necessitated by the deaths of Congress legislators Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti. The ruling Congress party has nominated Samarth Mallikarjun in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkot, both relatives of the deceased legislators, aiming to strengthen local support. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar led the campaign, emphasizing the government's welfare initiatives and asserting that their five guarantee schemes have provided relief to the people amid rising prices and lack of central support. Conversely, the BJP has framed the elections as a rejection of dynastic politics, questioning the Congress's governance and citing internal conflicts within the party. Local factors are expected to play a significant role in the election outcomes, with Davanagere South historically favoring Congress and Bagalkot seeing fluctuating support between the two parties. A holiday has been declared in the constituencies to facilitate voting, with votes to be counted on May 4.