U. B. Banakar

Ujaneshwar B. Banakar (born 4 May 1960) is an Indian politician from Karnataka. He is a three time member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing Hirekerur Assembly constituency in the Haveri district. He won the 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election on Indian National Congress ticket.

Early life and education
Ujaneshwara Basawaneppa Banakar was born in Chikkonati,Hirekerur. He is the son of former speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly and three time MLA, B.G. Banakar. He married Annapurna. He completed his graduation in arts and did L.L.B.

Career
Bankar first became an MLA winning the 1994 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election from Hirekerur Assembly constituency representing Bharatiya Janata Party. However, he lost the next three elections from the same seat. He lost on BJP ticket in 1999 and 2004 and then contested as an independent candidate without any success in 2008. He later shifted to Karnataka Janata Paksha and won the 2013 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election. He polled 52,623 votes and defeated his nearest rival, B. C. Patil, of Indian National Congress by a margin of 2,606 votes. Again he lost the 2018 Assembly election as a BJP candidate to B. C. Patil of Congress by a narrow margin of 555 votes.

He regained the Hirekerur Assembly constituency in the 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election on Indian National Congress ticket. He polled 85,378 votes and defeated his nearest rival, the then Agricultural Minister of Karnataka,B.C.Patil by a margin of 15,020 votes.