Vote counting for the by-elections in two Karnataka Assembly constituencies, Davanagere South and Bagalkot, began on Monday morning, with early trends showing a split outcome between the two major parties.

In Davanagere South, BJP candidate Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa has taken an early lead over Congress nominee Samarth Mallikarjun. After the first round of counting, Srinivasa secured 3,711 votes, while Mallikarjun polled 3,134 votes. The constituency will undergo a total of 21 counting rounds.

Meanwhile, in Bagalkot, Congress candidate Umesh Meti is leading comfortably against BJP’s Veeranna Charantimath. At the end of the second round, Meti had garnered 10,996 votes, establishing a lead of over 5,000 votes against Charantimath, who received 5,980 votes. Counting in this segment will be conducted over 23 rounds.

The Bagalkot bypoll was necessitated by the demise of former MLA H.Y. Meti, with his son Umesh Meti contesting on a Congress ticket. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah actively campaigned in support of him.

Counting operations in Bagalkot began at 8 a.m., with authorities deploying 63 personnel across 14 tables. Officials confirmed that all arrangements were in place, and the strongroom was opened in the presence of candidates and their agents.

In Davanagere South, the by-election followed the death of senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The Congress fielded his grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun, while the BJP nominated Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa.

The contest carries political significance for both parties. For the Congress, it is a matter of prestige for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, while the BJP aims to register its first win in this constituency.

Counting in Davanagere is being conducted across 14 tables under strict monitoring, including CCTV surveillance and micro observers at each table. Postal ballots were counted earlier in the morning, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counting from 8:30 a.m. Final results are expected after the completion of all 21 rounds.