Elections 98

State:	Karnataka
Constituency:	Tumkur
Total Votes Polled:	728992
Winner: BJP	S Mallikarjunaiah	327312
Runner Up: LS	R Narayana	256125
Margin: 71187 (22%)

Elections 96

State:	Karnataka
Constituency:	Tumkur
Total Votes Polled:	684272
Winner: JD	C N Bhaskarappa	192228
Runner Up: BJP	S Mallikarjunaiah	176516
Margin: 15712 (2.34%)

Another one to break from the Congress ranks, it remained firmly on that party's side till 1991, when it voted S Mallikarjunaiah of the BJP. Five years, however, it had no hesitation in electing C N Bhaskarappa of the Janata Dal, albeit with only 28 % of the votes.