Sitting MP Ramesh Katti defeated Minister Prakash Hukkeri of Congress by a margin of around 50,000 votes in the 2009 elections. This time too Ramesh, the younger brother of former minister Umesh Katti, is taking on Hukkeri and in all probability the odds are even.
Chikodi constituency has always gone with the Congress with its leader former minister B Shankaranand representing the seat seven times in a row from 1967 to 1991.
However, in the five elections from 1996, Congress lost its grip over the constituency which has gone to Janata Dal (United) and BJP twice and Lok Shakti once.
The constituency was first represented by D A Katti of SCF who defeated Indian National Congress candidate S V Patil in 1957. Since the third general elections in 1967, the constituency was reserved for Scheduled Castes, which Shankaranand, a Gandhi family loyalist, represented.
Shankaranand won his first election by defeating M S Nanasab of RPI. He defeated L B Karale in the second and third election.
However, Shankaranand lost to Ratnamala Dhareshwar Savanoor of Janata Dal (United)) in 1996 while his political disciple Bijapur Member of Parliament Ramesh Jigajinagi from Lok Shakti defeated him in the 1998 midterm elections.
Jigajinagi later defeated Shankaranand’s son Pradeepkumar Kanagali in 1999 from Janata Dal (United).
Jigajinagi joined the BJP and defeated Congress candidate Sham Bhim Ghatage in 2004.
Comprising eight Assembly segments - Athani, Chikodi-Sadalga, Hukkeri, Kagwad, Kudachi, Nippani, Raibagh and Yamkanmardi - the constituency was made a general seat after delimitation.
The Chikodi constituency is still undeveloped with villagers forced to go miles for drinking water.
Around 100 villages in Raibag, Athani and Chikodi taluks of the constituency are still being supplied drinking water through tankers.