Mysuru: Will the joint effort of prominent Dalit leader and the BJP candidate for Nanjangud, Mr V Srinivasprasad, and prominent Lingayat leader and party state president B.S. Yeddyurappa help them wrest the seat from the Congress for the first time?
It could be a landmark election when voters exercise their franchise on April 9. Ever since 1952, the BJP has not won here even once. And it had not come second except once in the 2008 assembly elections.
In 14 assembly elections held in Nanjangud, independent candidates have won twice while Congress candidates have won eight times. A Congress-I candidate won the seat once, Janatha Dal candidates twice and a Janata Party candidate once.
When it comes to coming second, Congress candidates have done it five times, the PSP candidate once, Independent candidates twice, Janata Party candidates twice, Janatha Dal twice, and the JD(S) candidate once. The BJP candidate has come second only once.
In 1952, independent candidate Hejjige M Linganna defeated Congress candidate Maadaiah by a margin of 4192 votes, in 1957 Congress candidate P Mahadevaiah defeated PSP candidate B.N.S. Aaradhya by a margin of 6436 votes.
In 1962 the Congress party candidate N Rachaiah defeated independent candidate L Srikantaiah by a margin of 2785 votes. In 1972 Congress candidate K.B. Shivaiah defeated independent candidate Srikantaiah by the margin of 7122 votes. In 1978 Congress-I candidate K.B. Shivaiah defeated Janata party candidate Puttaveera by a margin of 6784 votes.
In 1983 Congress candidate M Mahadev defeated Janata party candidate K Naresegowda by a margin of 45 votes. In 1985, Janata Party candidate D.T. Jayakumar defeated Congress candidate M Linganna by a margin of 4262 votes.
In 1989, Congress candidate M Mahadev defeated Janata Dal candidate D.T. Jayakumar by a margin of 1251 votes. In 1994, Janata Dal candidate D.T. Jayakumar defeated Congress candidate M Mahadev by 29,416 votes.
In 1999, Congress candidate M. Mahadev defeated Janata Dal candidate D.T. Jayakumar by a margin of 7998 votes. In 2004, Janata Dal candidate D.T. Jayakumar defeated Congress candidate M. Mahadev by a huge 25,585 votes.
In 2008, Congress candidate V Srinivasprasad defeated BJP candidate S Mahadevaiah by a margin of 708 votes, and again in 2013, Srinivasprasad defeated JD(S) candidate Kalale Keshavmurthy by a margin of 8941 votes.
During delimitation in 2008, Nanjangud which was a general constituency was declared a reserved seat.
