During the last election due to the combined effect of Vajpayee wave and S Bangarappa joining BJP, the BJP party won five out of seven Assembly constituencies in the district. However the situation has changed this time and barring Shikaripur where former Chief Ministers S Bangarappa and B S Yeddyurappa are crossing swords against each other, multi-dimensional fight is expected in other constituencies of the district.

Shimoga

Caste considerations and development issues are expected to figure in the elections to Shimoga city constituency. After delimitation, Shimoga city constituency comprises 32 wards of City Municipal Council. Of the 2.21 lakh voters in the city, those from Brahmin, Lingayat, Kuruba and Muslim communities form the major chunk.
Former minister K S Eshwarappa (BJP), Ismail Khan (Congress), M Srikanth (JD-S) and Y H Nagaraj (Samajawadi Party) are in the fray. Eshwarappa won the election in the year 1989, 1994 and in 2004 and became a minister in JD(S)-BJP coalition Government.

Lingayats in Shimoga are upset with Eshwarappa as the post of CMC President was denied for a leader from the community though he was senior councillor in the party. This may prove dear for Eshwarappa.
The city saw many development works during JD(S)-BJP coalition Government and Eshwarappa is trying to seek votes on the development issue. Non-BJP candidates allege that land value in the city limits also skyrocketed during the same period.

Congress candidate Ismail Khan’s campaigning is yet to pick momentum. JD(S) candidate K Srikant who  belongs to Kuruba community is expected to offer stiff fight to Eshwarappa. Samajawadi party candidate Y H Nagaraj is the only Lingayat candidate in fray. As Samajawadi party Chief S Bangarappa has a large support base in Backward Caste and minorities, Nagaraj is confident of support of these sections along with Lingayats.

Shimoga Rural

The newly formed Shimoga rural constituency is expected to witness multi-dimensional fight this election. Nine candidates are in the fray including three time MLA Kariyanna from Congress, Sharada Poorya Naik (JD-S), K G Kumaraswamy (BJP), Shantaveera Naik (Samajawadi party) and Gurumurthy (BSP).

After delimitation, Holehonnur assembly constituency has ceased to exist and Shimoga rural constituency was formed by including parts of Shimoga and Bhadravati taluks.

As Bhovi and Banajar communities form the major chunk of population here, the constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Caste.

JD(S) has offered ticket to former Zilla Panchayat president Sharada Poorya Naik who hails from Banajar community.