Elections 98

State:	Karnataka
Constituency:	Bijapur
Total Votes Polled:	655370
Winner: INC	Patil Mallanagouda Basanagouda	261623
Runner Up: BJP	Patil Basanagouda Linganagouda	208801
Margin: 52822 (20%)

Elections 96

State:	Karnataka
Constituency:	Bijapur
Total Votes Polled:	519633
Winner: JD	Patil Basangouda Rudragouda	185504
Runner Up: BJP	Basanagouda Ramanagouda Patil (Yat)	154911
Margin: 30593 (6.04%)

The Congress, which had lost the constituency only once before 1996, found it had been relegated to the third position the last time. The BJP, cornering 30.59 % of the vote, was the runner-up ahead of the Congress.