Shivamogga: Madhu Bangarappa, the JD(S) Lok Sabha candidate from Karnataka's Shivamogga, is busy learning Hindi to prepare himself to speak in Parliament, even before the results are announced.

Madhu faced BJP's BY Raghavendra, who is the sitting MP from Shivamogga. Raghavendra is the son of former Karnataka chief minister and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa.

In fact, Madhu had also contested the Assembly elections in May last year from Soraba on a JD(S) ticket against his brother Kumar Bangarappa of the BJP. Kumar had won with a margin of 14,000 votes. Both Kumar and Madhu are sons of former state chief minister late S Bangarappa.

Madhu told the media in Soraba that he had confidence in the people of Shivamogga and their emotions. He expressed that he will win the Shivamogga seat for sure. "I am learning Hindi so that I will not face any difficulties while speaking in the Parliament in Delhi," he said.

The seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on May 19 and the results will be announced on May 23.

On the other hand, Raghavendra has the record of defeating Madhu's father Bangarappa in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Raghavendra had won by a margin of over 52,893 votes.

But in 2014, Yeddyurappa won the Lok Sabha election against Congress's Manjunath Bhandary but resigned in 2018. In the by-election, Raghavendra won. He secured 4,89,959 votes and defeated the JD(S)-Congress candidate Madhu by 47,388 votes.

Considering the previous records, BJP has a stronghold in Shivamogga. But despite previous defeats, Madhu is confident of winning the Lok Sabha elections as the Assembly election defeat margin was below 15,000.

This time also Madhu contested as the joint candidate of the JD(S) and Congress.