The contest in Chikballapur constituency has hogged the limelight ahead of the elections as two former chief ministers and a former minister will lock horns in the battle.
The constituency was formed in 1977 and according to political pundits, this year’s elections will be fought mainly on water crisis prevailing in the region.
Considered to be a Congress bastion, the constituency has elected nine Congressmen to the Parliament since 1977. The Janata Dal was successful only once when senior Congress leader and former minister R L Jalappa won on the party ticket.
The first MP from the constituency was former minister V Krishnappa. In 1980, S N Prasanna Kumar won on a Congress ticket. From 1984, Krishna Rao (Congress) managed to win for three consecutive terms. In 1996 R L Jalappa won on a Janata Dal ticket and in 1998, 1999 and 2004 polls he won on a Congress ticket. Although voters in this constituency have showed allegiance to different parties in Assembly polls, they have always rallied behind the Congress in general elections.
Of the eight Assembly segments in the constituency, Congress has four (Gouribidanur, Chikballapur, Hoskote, Dodballapur and Bagepalli) in its kitty. Subba Reddy (Bagepalli) was elected as an Independent to the Assembly and later joined the Congress. JD(S) won Devanahalli and Nelamangala and the BJP tasted success in Yelahanka.In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, Veerappa Moily got 3,90,500 votes, followed by Aswathnarayana of the BJP (3,39,119 votes). C R Manohar (JDS) came third polling 1,86,075 votes.
This year’s poll will see a triangular fight between Moily (Congress), H D Kumarswamy (JDS) and B N Bachche Gowda (BJP). Aam Aadmi Party has fielded retired police officer Arkesh.