As election campaigning for the Karnataka by-polls in Channapatna, Sandur, and Shiggaon drew to a close on Monday evening, candidates are focusing on a final push to win their constituencies.

Amid allegations of ‘son-rise’ with family-driven political representation at the forefront, corruption allegations have added another layer of complexity to the electoral battle with the release of the John Michael D’Cunha Commission report.

In the bypoll to Channapatna Assembly constituency, Union Industries Minister Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil is contesting from JD(S), retrying his luck after losing two previous elections he had contested.

Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who previously represented the Shiggaon Assembly constituency, considered BJP’s Bastion is now canvassing for his son, Bharath Bommai. The by-election was necessitated following Basavaraj Bommai’s entry into the Lok Sabha.

The Sandur constituency, considered a stronghold of the Congress, has been represented by E Tukaram since 2008. The party has fielded his wife, Annapoorna, as its candidate to retain the seat, competing against Bangara Hanumantha, the BJP’s candidate.

Hanumantha, who contested as an independent candidate in 2018, is now supported by the BJP-JD(S) alliance. This seat is crucial for Congress, as it has never lost Sandur except in 1984 and 2004, prompting CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to lead a vigorous campaign focusing on the BJP’s alleged failures in office, which includes the Michael D’Cunha report, which investigated irregularities in government purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Congress has called for further legal action, reiterating their commitment to investigating the alleged COVID-19 irregularities.

On November 9, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, addressing a political rally for the by-election in Shiggaon, said, “D’Cunha was always against us. Why was the interim report given before the election? What was the government doing for the past one-and-a-half years? You are a judge, not an agent.”

“Ever since we were in the opposition, our party has raised its voice against the Covid irregularities committed by the BJP government. We have assured the citizens that we will investigate this matter after coming to power. Accordingly, we will proceed legally regarding the COVID scam,” Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dinesh Gundu Rao wrote to X.

Addressing the media today, Gundu Rao, alongside revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda, said, “We want the governor to address what Prahlad Joshi said, and bring it to the President’s notice. He spoke very arrogantly. He thinks that because the central government is in BJP’s hands and because he is a union minister, he is untouchable. He should apologise and face legal consequences.”

In a bid to counter the allegations by Congress, the BJP is targeting the issues related to Valmiki, Waqf, and the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) issues, accusing the party of recent scams and anti-incumbency.

Congress would be hoping to win all the seats to counter NDA’s allegations of scams and anti-incumbency while allies BJP and JDS would be hoping to not only retain two seats but also wrest Sandur to show the state government has lost popularity.