CHIKKAMAGALURU: After nearly two decades, Congress made a clean sweep in the assembly elections in Chikkamagaluru, regaining its old glory. The BJP had four MLAs, C T Ravi from Chikkamagaluru, M P Kumaraswamy from Mudigere, Belli Prakash from Kadur and D S Suresh from Tarikere, after the 2018 assembly polls.
From 1989 to 1999, C R Sageer Ahmed won successively from Chikkamagaluru and had been minister twice. In 1999, C R Sagir Ahmad, D B Chandre Gowda and Motamma were cabinet ministers in the S M Krishna Ministry.
After former PM Indira Gandhi contested from Chikkamagaluru in 1979 and won, the district became a strong bastion of the Congress and it gave a political rebirth to Indira Gandhi. From 2004, the BJP gained a foothold in the district which was otherwise electing Congress, JDS and independent candidates. The Datta Peeta Liberation Movement, Dattamala Abhiyan, Shobha Yatra and Dharma Sansad helped the BJP to increase its votes in Chikkamagaluru, Mudigere and Karkala.
Sitting BJP MLAs C T Ravi, Belli Prakash and D S Suresh lost to H D Thammaiah, K S Anand and former MLA G H Srinivas, respectively. BJP MLA M P Kumaraswamy was denied ticket and he quit the party and joined the JDS. He contested on the JDS ticket but finished third.
BJP candidate Deepak Doddaiah lost to Congress candidate Nayana, daughter of former MLA Motamma. In Tarikere, BJP candidate D S Suresh was defeated by former MLA G H Srinivas, though Congress rebel H M Gopkrishna divided party votes. Last time loser and Congress candidate K S Anand wrested the seat from Belli Prakash. Sringeri witnessed a neck-and-neck fight ultimately victory going in favour of Congress candidate T D Raje Gowda. Raje Gowda defeated D N Jeevaraj by 153 votes.