In a curious coincidence, the party which has got elected from Sringeri Assembly constituency in Chickmaglur district has always been forming the government since the first-ever election in 1952.
Back in 1952, when it was part of Thirthahalli-Koppa constituency, Kadidal Manjappa from Indian National Congress (INC) was the MLA and also the Chief Minister for a short duration. The late Manjappa was also the first MLA after Sringeri constituency came into existence in 1957 and got elected uncontested. INC had formed the government under B.D. Jatti and S.R. Kanthi. The Late Manjappa got elected again in 1962 and Congress’s S. Nijalingappa was Chief Minister.
In 1967, Congress’s K.N. Veerappa Gowda got elected from Sringeri when Veerendra Patil from his party had formed the government. Mr. Gowda got re-elected in 1972 when the l ate D. Devaraj Urs (INC) was Chief Minister. Begane Ramaiah represented this constituency from 1978 to 1983 when Urs and R. Gundu Rao, from INC and Indira Congress, were Chief Ministers. During the elections of 1983 and 1985, H.G. Govinde Gowda of Janata Party got elected from Sringeri and Ramakrishna Hegde from his party had formed the government. In 1989, U.K. Shamanna from INC wrested the seat from Mr. Gowda when the Veerendra Patil, Bangarappa and M. Veerappa Moily, all from INC, were chief ministers.
The seat again went back to Mr. Govinde Gowda in 1994, who was then in Janata Dal and was minister for primary and secondary education in the H.D. Deve Gowda and J.H. Patel governments. In 1999, D.B. Chandre Gowda, who went to INC, got elected and was law and parliamentary affairs minister in the S.M. Krishna government.
Sringeri MLA (D.N. Jeevaraj, BJP) was not a part of the ruling coalition for just about 20 months when Congress and JD(S) formed coalition government in 2004. However, during the life of this Assembly itself, JD (S) and BJP formed another coalition government and again Sringeri came in the power map. Mr. Jeevaraj won again in 2008 and became a minster too in the Jagadish Shettar government. This time, Mr. Jeevaraj is fighting a triangular contest with T.D. Raje Gowda of INC and T.C. Rajendra of JD (S).
