Despite having a population of fewer than 150,000 people, Bhatkal in the Uttara Kannada district is home to units from all state and intelligence agencies. The name itself is the reason. More than the town itself, the name Bhatkal evokes images of Yasin and Riyaz Bhatkal, the two terrorists who planned numerous attacks across the nation.
Even before the Bhatkal brothers gained notoriety, the town was one of the places in the country that suffered Hindu-Muslim riots after the destruction of the Babri Masjid. Bhatkal is believed to have got its name from the Jain monk named Bhatkal. There is a world-famous Murudeshwara temple here. It is also home to the world’s second-largest Shiva idol, a holy place that attracts tourists and beckons, nature lovers. The Bhatkal riots in 1993 uprooted years of communal harmony in the region. At least 17 people were killed and 90 people were grievously injured.
In April 1996, the then-Bhatkal MLA Dr Chittaranjan was shot dead. Currently, Sunil Biliya Naik from BJP is the sitting MLA in the Bhatkal assembly constituency. Although there are rumours of BJP leaders in the state being unsatisfied with him, Sunil Naik is going for the ticket once again. Businessmen like Ishwar Naik and Govinda Naik are also aspiring for tickets. From Congress, former MLA Mankal Vaidya, JD Naik and former minister RN Naik and as well as Muzamil Qazi are lobbying for tickets. Inayatullah Shabandri, Ganapayya Gowda are vying for a JD(S) ticket.
There are a total of 2,05,000 voters in the constituency. Among these, nominal and Muslim votes are crucial. There are 67,000 registered voters and 55,000 Muslim voters in the constituency. 32,000 are fishermen and 25,000 are other community voters with 15,000 Christians. It has long been a demand of voters in the constituency for a super speciality hospital.
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