Bengaluru, May 4 : The counting of votes for the Bagalkot Assembly segment in Karnataka has been completed, with Congress securing a huge victory margin of 22,332 votes.

Meanwhile, Davanagere South is witnessing a close contest and the Congress party is leading by 5,657 votes.

The Congress party workers are celebrating in the Bagalkot segment as the candidate has secured a win with a huge margin of votes. Bagalkot Congress candidate Umesh Meti has secured a decisive victory in the by-election. Meti polled a total of 98,919 votes, while the BJP candidate secured 76,587 votes at the end of the counting of all 23 rounds.

Responding to the development, Congress candidate from Bagalkot, Umesh Meti, stated: â??Every Congress worker and leader worked as if they themselves were the candidate."

He further expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Minister for Textiles, Sugarcane Development and Sugar Shivanand Patil and Excise Minister R.B. Timmappur, and the entire cabinet.

Umesh Meti said he will focus on development in the constituency and fulfil his late father Metiâ??s dream of establishing a medical college.

In the much-awaited Davanagere South constituency, BJPâ??s Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa continued to trail against Congress candidate Samarth Mallikarjun. Srinivasa polled 54,335 while Samarth Mallikarjun has secured 59,992 votes after the 18th round of counting. There are a total of 21 rounds of counting. The Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI)'s Afsar Kodlipet managed to get 18,203 votes.

The results are crucial for both the ruling Congress party and the Opposition BJP.

In Bagalkot, the by-election was held following the untimely demise of H.Y. Meti. His son, Umesh Meti, is in a direct contest against the BJPâ??s Veeranna Charantimath.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah campaigned extensively for the Congress candidate.

The Davanagere South bypoll was necessitated by the death of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The party fielded his grandson, Samarth Mallikarjun, as its candidate, while the BJP nominated Srinivasa T. Dasakariyappa, a party leader from the oppressed classes.

Following allegations of anti-party activities, Congress removed two MLCs from party positions after announcing its candidate. The prestige of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is at stake, while the BJP is hoping to secure its first victory in this Assembly segment.

/IANS