Hebbalkar on bypolls: Cong will win Davanagere South, Bagalkot

Udupi: Minister for Women and Child Development and Udupi district minister Laxmi Hebbalkar Thursday said the Congress was confident of winning the Davanagere South and Bagalkot constituencies in the upcoming byelections.Speaking to reporters near the Yuva Meridian helipad at Koteshwar in Kundapur, she said that voters generally support the ruling party in byelections. The govt's guarantee schemes, she said, have reached every household and have improved development and people's income. She added that women voters, in particular, were satisfied with these initiatives."We are confident of winning in both constituencies. In a democracy, everyone has the right to seek a ticket, but victory is our only benchmark," she said.Referring to the constituency vacated following the death of Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, Hebbalkar said the ticket was given to a member of his family and that the party accepted the high command's decision.Varahi projectOn the Varahi project, the minister said farmers have already submitted petitions, and the govt's objective is to ensure that no one faces injustice. She said the DC has visited the site and conducted an inspection. The govt, she added, will take steps to complete the project at the earliest, keeping farmers' interests in mind.Responding to a query about a few govt buses not entering the new KSRTC bus stand in Byndoor, she said a meeting would be convened with the DC and the national highway authorities to resolve the issue soon.