After delimitation, Bantwal constituency has lost some parts to Mangalore constituency as well as gained lot from Vittal constituency and four villages from Puttur.

The constituency include Bantwal taluk (Part), Bantwal circle, Panemangalore Circle (Part), Kariyangala, Badaga Bellur, Thenkabellur, Ammunje, Kallige, Sajipamannuru, Sajipamuda, Amtoor, Narikombu, Shambhoor, Manchi, Golthamajal, Balthila, Barimar, and Kodeshwalya villages. Vittal Circle (part) which includes Bolanthuru, Veerakamba, Ananthadi, Mani, Peraje, Netlamudnur, Kolnadu, Vittalpadanur, Salethur, Karoopady, and Kanyana villages, Bantwal TP. With the delimitation, the number of voters have been increased from 1,39,984 (2004 election) to 1,71,655.

While former minister B Nagaraj Shetty has already filed his nomination papers, another former minister and Congress District President B Ramanath Rai is yet to file his nomination. Though there is a speculation that another former MLA (from former Vittal constituency) Ibrahim is likely to contest the polls, it appears that there is a straight fight between the two ‘heavy weight’ former ministers—Nagaraj Shetty and Ramanath Rai.
Mr Shetty was District-in-Charge Minister in former coalition government while Mr Rai was the district in charge minister during Veerappa Moily’s tenure.

Mr Shetty has the credit of stopping the Rai ‘power’ in the constituency in the 2004 elections.

However, Mr Rai, who lost by less than 6,000 votes, had won four times in a row before 2004.

In the last 2004 elections, Mr Shetty polled 50.21 per cent of the votes and Mr Rai 44.79 per cent.

From 1978, Congress has won the constiotuency five times in 1978 (B A Moideen), Ramanath Rai in 1985, 1989, 1994 and 1999. BJP has won twice since 1978 with N Shiva Rao in 1983 and B Nagaraj Shetty in 2004.
In fact, former Puttur MLA Shakunthala Shetty had contested the election twice in Bantwal in 1999 and 1994. Traditionally, Bantwal was Congress forte. With Mr Shetty’s win in 2004, the BJP regained it after a gap of 21 years. 

While Mr Shetty said that pro-people governance of the coalition government over 20 months and the failures of UPA government at the Centre leading to sky rocketing of prices of commodities will be his poll issues, Mr Rai is hoping that the electorate will favour him for the works he has done in the constituency.

While Shetty faction believes that Narendra Modi’s visit would help BJP gain mileage in Bantwal, it is said that Mr Rai is planning to get film actors and actresses to woo the voters.

Though both Mr Shetty and Mr Rai appear confident, sources said that both are ‘not so confident’ as they appear to be.

Meanwhile, CPI has fielded Adovcate Satish Kumar as its candidate and he too has already filed his nomination.
He claims that he has the support of beedi workers and anganwadi workers and farmers among others. He has also held a meeting with them in this regard. JD(S) and some indpendent candidates are also likley to contest from this prestigious constituency.

CPI candidate Sathish Kumar said “We have been holding meetings and started our campaign in the region. People have expressed their desire to support CPI. Most of the intellectual class are also supporting us.”

“Our vote is mainly from beedi workers, peasants, AITUC members, Anganwadi workers, Bisioota workers. The constituency has a minimum of 50,000 beedi workers, pesants, angawnwadi workers etc.

All the party workers are also working out strategy for the win. It is not difficult to win in this constituency. Even women have started their camapiagn in the region.”
Will the ‘magic’ of Nagaraj Shetty work for the second time in the constituency or Congress will get back its bastion once again will be decided by the voters.