Elections 98

State:	Maharashtra
Constituency:	Latur
Total Votes Polled:	723116
Winner: INC	Patil Shivraj Vishwanath	322265
Runner Up: BJP	Dr Gopalrao Patil	318938
Margin: 3327 (1%)

Elections 96

State:	Maharashtra
Constituency:	Latur
Total Votes Polled:	683273
Winner: INC	Shivraj Vishwanath Patil	279775
Runner Up: BJP	Patil Gopalarao Vithalrao	200403
Margin: 79372 (11.85%)

Barring 1977, when the seat plumbed for the BLD, it has always remained with the Congress. Since 1980, Shivraj Patil -- Lok Sabha speaker between 1991 and 1996 -- has represented the constituency, a feat he repeated in 1996 defeating the BJP's G V Patil by almost 80,000 votes.