Karnataka polls: The HD Kote jinx and why no party retains the seat successively

No party has been able to retain the Heggadadevankote Assembly seat in Mysore district of Karnataka in all 12 elections since 1962.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet open its account in this constituency located in Mysore district.

Heggadadevana Kote (H.D. Kote) constituency, which has 115 haadis (tribal settlements), exclusively for forest-dwelling tribals. H.D. Kote constituency has 115 haadis (tribal settlements) exclusively for forest-dwelling tribals. Heggadadevankote was reserved for Schedule Caste till 2004. After the delimitation in 2008, the seat was reserved for Schedule Tribe candidates.

Though Congress has won the highest number of times, it however couldn't retain it the successive elections. Congress won the seat in 1967, 1978, 1985, 1999 and 2008. Janata Dal (Secular) snatched it from the Congress in 2013. BJP was in second place in 2008 and 2013 elections.

The late MLA Chikkamadu. S won this seat on a JD(S) ticket by defeating Chikkanna of the Congress. While Chikkanna lost in the 2013 elections, he had won the seat in 2008 on a Congress ticket.

Anil Chikkamadu, the son of the late JDS MLA , is contesting from the Congress and fromer MLA Chikkanna from JDS. The BJP has fielded as its Siddaraju. Karnataka goes to the polls in a single phase on May 12, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 15.