Karnataka Elections: Can opposition end BJP's winning streak at Chikkamagaluru assembly seat?

In 2018, C T Ravi of the BJP won the seat by defeating Shankar B L of the Indian National Congress with a margin of 26,314 votes.

The southern state of Karnataka is preparing for its Assembly Elections on May 10, with counting scheduled for May 13. Political parties are actively campaigning through speeches, roadshows, and manifestos in order to garner voters' attention and support. All 224 assembly seats are important in deciding the ultimate outcome of the election.

One of the constituencies is Chikkamagaluru Assembly, which falls under the Udupi Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency. It consists of eight Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) segments namely Chikkamagaluru, Kundapura, Tarikere, Kapu, Mudigere, Udupi, Karkala, and Sringeri.

In 2018, C T Ravi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the seat by defeating Shankar B L of the Indian National Congress (INC) with a margin of 26,314 votes.

This year, the four time MLA, C T Ravi is seeking his re-election for his fifth term. The Chikkamagaluru constituency is expected to witness a fierce competition between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress has put forward a strong candidate in H D Thammaiah, who was previously associated with the BJP as an aide to C T Ravi before switching to the Congress.

Other candidates fielding in the constituency are Eregowda from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Thimmashetty contesting from the Janata Dal (Secular).

The Chikkamagaluru constituency has historically been a stronghold of the Congress party. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi even contested and won the 1978 Lok Sabha election from this constituency. This trend continued in Assembly elections until 2004, when the BJP's Ravi began winning.

According to the data available, the Lingayat community, which comprises around 40,000 voters, is well-represented in Chikkamagaluru by H D Thammaiah, who belongs to this community. In contrast, the Vokkaliga community, which C T Ravi hails from, has around 20,000 voters in the constituency. Chikkamagaluru also has a significant population of other communities, such as 45,000 SC/STs, 30,000 Muslims, and 23,000 Kurubas.

If elected to power, Thammaiah would be the second Lingayat MLA to get elected from Chikkamagaluru after C M S Shastri way back in 1967.