Sakleshpur Assembly constituency falls under the Hasan district of Karnataka State. The constituency is Scheduled Caste reserved seat. In the 2018 Assembly elections, HK Kumaraswamy of JD(S) (38.67%) defeated Somashekar Jayaraj of BJP (35.60%). HK Kumaraswamy had previously won two consecutive Assembly elections in the year 2008 and 2013. HK Kumaraswamy has served as JD(S) State president and Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Welfare in the government of Karnataka. HK Kumaraswamy has retained the ticket from JD(S) for the upcoming Assembly elections. BJP has decided to field Cement Manju as their candidate. Murali Mohan has been given the ticket from INC for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The constituency is dominated by Lingayat Community. Their inclination is towards BJP for the upcoming Assembly election. The second most dominant community in the region is the Vokkaliga community which is split between JD(S) and BJP. One of the key reasons for surge in inclination towards BJP from both Vokkaligas and Lingayat community is the reservation to these communities guaranteed by BJP .Muslims are the third most dominant community in the region and are inclined towards INC for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Cement Manju of BJP has been actively engaging with the locals in recent months. The campaign of BJP in the region has been boosted with the recent roadshow done by Amit Shah in the region. One of the major issues highlighted by Amit Shah during the campaign was the demand by INC of reversing the reservation provided to Vokkaligas and Lingayats. A direct allegation of appeasement politics played by INC towards Muslims were made by Amit Shah. BJP is banking on the consolidation of votes banks generated through the Lingayat and Vokkaliga community for the upcoming election. HK Kumaraswamy is a veteran politician and carries huge influence in the constituency. HK Kumaraswamy belongs to the Dalit community. The Scheduled Caste community especially Dalit community in majority are in favour of HK Kumaraswamy. There is miniscule segment of the community who are in favour of INC leading to the upcoming Assembly elections. INC released their manifesto promising to repel Anti-People laws brought by BJP. This comes in the backdrop of opposition from several civil society groups, apart from farmers and worker unions, to five laws: stringent cow slaughter ban law, anti-conversion law, amendments that effectively deregulated APMC markets, diluting land reforms to liberalise the ownership of agriculture land, and increasing the working hours from 8 to 12 on factory floors. JD(S) including HK Kumaraswamy in the constituency have been silent on the above. The farmers In the constituency are disappointed with lack of opposition by JD(S) on the dilution of land reforms in the constituency. On a larger perspective, the upcoming Assembly election will be a two way contest between JD(S) and BJP.

For further detailed insight on the political scenario in Sakleshpur Assembly constituency, please follow ETG Times Now Opinion Poll.