Elections 98

State:	Karnataka
Constituency:	Raichur
Total Votes Polled:	607194
Winner: INC	A Venkatesh Naik	264187
Runner Up: JD	Raja Rangappa Naik	185909
Margin: 78278 (30%)

Elections 96

State:	Karnataka
Constituency:	Raichur
Total Votes Polled:	497160
Winner: JD	Raja Rangappa Naik	214920
Runner Up: INC	A Venkatesh Nayak	178515
Margin: 36405 (7.57%)

In 1952 it voted for an Independent, and in 1967 for the Swatantra Party, but otherwise this too had been a strict Congress seat. Thus it was surprising that the seat went to the Janata Dal in 1996, but the BJP did not do all that badly, scoring 15 % of the vote.