The Haveri Lok Sabha constituency, which was earlier known as Dharwad South, was a Congress bastion from 1952 to 1998. The current Haveri Lok Sabha constituency was formed in 2008 after delimitation.
The Congress won 11 times until 1996 and its nominee F H Mohasin was an MP for five consecutive terms from 1962 to 1980. The first time a Congress candidate was defeated was in 1998 when Lokshakti candidate B M Menasinkai won. But the Congress wrested the seat in 1999.
In the 2004 and 2009 general elections, the BJP defeated the Congress here.
The last Congress candidate elected from Haveri was I G Sanadi who won in the 1999 general elections.
There are eight Assembly segments in the constituency, and the Congress won seven of them in the previous Assembly election. The remaining seat was won by a KJP candidate.
The composition of the electorate is largely educated middle class. Haveri is dominated by Lingayats, but there is a sizable population of Muslims, Kurubas and SC/STs. Caste does play a role in this constituency with most people voting on the basis of caste.
BJP MP Shivakumar Udasi is seeking re-election for a second term. The Congress is yet to finalise its candidate. The JD(S) has fielded Ravi Menasinkai and the AAP Hassanali Sakharji.
The election, it is said, will be a straight fight between the BJP and the Congress party.
The composition of the electorate in Haveri is largely educated middle class.
It is dominated by Lingayats, but there is a sizable population of Muslims, Kurubas and SC/STs too. Caste does play a role in this constituency with most people voting on the basis of caste.