Bhatkal Assembly constituency is one of the 224 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Karnataka in India .[ 2] It is part of Uttara Kannada district .
The constituency is infamous for Communal tensions due to notable presence of Hindutva groups and Islamic fundamentalism. [ 3] [ 4]
In April 10, 1996 a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly from this constituency was assassinated by gunfire .[ 5] [ 6]
The constituency has around 2.15 lakhs votes. Nearly 1.6 lakh voters i.e. more than 70% of vote base are Hindus , followed by Muslims at nearly 55,000 who are 25.4% and Christians at 7300 forming 3.4% of the electorate. Among Hindu vote base the single major group is Namdharis constituting about 70,000 votes.[ 7] The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes forms 10.1% of the electorate with nearly 22,000 votes.
Members of the Legislative Assembly [ edit | edit source ]
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2013 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election : Bhatkal [ 10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Independent
Mankala Vaidya
37,319
28.45%
New
JD(S)
Enayathullah Shabandri
27,435
20.91%
17.07
KJP
Shivanand Naik
26,657
20.32%
New
INC
J. D. Naik
21,766
16.59%
28.13
BJP
Govinda Jattappa Naik
14,791
11.27%
22.37
Independent
Bhushan Naik
2,571
1.96%
New
Independent
Mulla Nadeem Ahmed
1,285
0.98%
New
Independent
Kumar Nagappa Heble
1,047
0.80%
New
BSP
Hosad Santosh Hanumant Prabhu
902
0.69%
0.62
Margin of victory
9,884
7.53%
3.56
Turnout
134,596
70.97%
7.49
Registered electors
189,664
9.66
Independent gain from INC
Swing
16.27
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2008 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election : Bhatkal [ 11]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
INC
J. D. Naik
49,079
44.72%
4.02
BJP
Naik Shivananda Narayana
36,913
33.64%
11.07
SP
Yashodhara Ganapa Naik
12,538
11.43%
New
JD(S)
Naik Parameshwar Tippayya
4,211
3.84%
5.14
Independent
Bhushan Naik
2,946
2.68%
New
Independent
S. M. Zakriya
1,437
1.31%
New
BSP
Santosha Hanumantha Prabhu
1,437
1.31%
New
Rashtriya Hindustan Sena Karnataka
Shetty Girish Lokeshwar
1,179
1.07%
New
Margin of victory
12,166
11.09%
7.08
Turnout
109,792
63.48%
1.14
Registered electors
172,949
7.52
INC gain from BJP
Swing
0.01
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↑ 1.0 1.1 "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election - 2023" . eci.gov.in . Election Commission of India . Retrieved 24 July 2023 .
↑ "Karnataka Loksabha Elections - 2019 - Voters Count" (PDF) . ceokarnataka.kar.nic.in . Retrieved 10 February 2021 .
↑ "From communal harmony to terror infamy: How Bhatkal became a constant on intel agencies' radar" . Hindustan Times . 19 September 2021. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025 .
↑ "Offensive charm" . Telegraph .
↑ Dev, Arun (10 March 2018). "The Forgotten Political Murder That Changed Bhatkal's Fate Forever" . TheQuint . Retrieved 16 June 2025 .
↑ Nanjappa, Vicky. "How placid Bhatkal turned into a communal hotspot" . Rediff . Retrieved 16 June 2025 .
↑ "Karnataka polls: In 'terror-tainted' Bhatkal, Hindu-Muslim divide polarises voters as well as decides candidates" . Firstpost . 6 May 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2025 .
↑ "Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Bhatkal" . Election Commission of India. 13 May 2023. Archived from the original on 26 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025 .
↑ "Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election - 2018" . Election Commission of India . Retrieved 4 February 2021 .
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2013 : To the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . eci.nic.in . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2014 .
↑ "General Election Karnataka Legislative Assembly 2008 Election Statistics" (PDF) . Government of Karnataka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2021.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2004 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1999 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 October 2010.
↑ "Bye Elections - 1996 - Election Commission of India" . old.eci.gov.in . Election Commission of India . Retrieved 21 December 2025 .
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1994 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1989 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 7 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1985 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1983 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 7 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1978 to the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 7 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1972 to the Legislative Assembly of Mysore" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 October 2010.
↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1967 to the Legislative Assembly of Mysore" (PDF) . Election Commission of India . Archived from the original (pdf) on 6 October 2010.
14°00′N 74°32′E / 14°N 74.54°E / 14; 74.54