Karnataka Elections: Sakleshpur Assembly Constituency

Sakleshpur is a hill station and town and headquarters of Sakleshapura Taluk in Hassan district. The town lies in the Malnad region on the magnificent hills of the biodiversity hotspot, the Western Ghats. Sakaleshapura taluk is bounded by Belur taluk to the northeast, Alur taluk to the east, Kodagu district to the southeast and south, Dakshina Kannada district to the west, Chikkamagaluru district to the northwest.

The name Shakala is a Sanskrit word which means ""Bhinnavada"" or ""Birukada"". In the past a Shivalinga found in this town which was broken. The linga was called as Shakaleshwara which since then became Sakaleshwara in the tongue of the local people. A temple was also built at the entrance of the town. Later, the town was also called as Sakaleshapura.

Another theory is that the name Sakaleshapura evolved from sakala-aishwarya-pura, which in turn got condensed from sakala aishwaryagalinda kudida pura - literally meaning that the place is blessed with all kinds of wealth: Water (River Hemavati); Coffee; Spices - including Cardamom & Pepper; excellent Climate too - being a Hill Station that earned the sobriquet "poor man's Ooty" during the British Raj;

Two rivers originate in Sakaleshapura taluk and drain westward through the Ghats. The Kempuhole River originates near Manjarabad Fort and flows westward to join the Netravati River, which empties into the Arabian Sea at Mangalore.

The primary mode of employment in the Sakaleshpura region is agriculture.

The Manjarabad fort is located just outside Sakaleshapura on National Highway 48. The fort is reputed to have been constructed by Tippu Sultan.

HK Kumaraswamy from JDS defeated D. Mallesh of Congress by 33,069 votes. The JDS has been winning from Sakleshpur Assembly Constituency since 2004.

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