RAICHUR: It’s official. Two JD (S) legislators—Dr Shivaraj Patil (Raichur City) and Manappa Vajjal (Lingasugur) — will not get the party’s tickets for forthcoming Assembly polls. State JD (S) president H D Kumaraswamy told the media in Belagavi today that they would be denied tickets because they were knocking on the doors of other political parties.
The exit of both Dr Patil and Mr Vajjal seemed imminent as Mr Vajjal has confirmed that he would contest polls as the BJP’s nominee while Dr Patil has played his cards close to his chest. A rookie in politics, Dr Patil shocked his opponents with his maiden victory in 2013. But like many politicians from north Karnataka region, Dr Patil who gave up his lucrative medical practice for a career in politics, too realized that the base of JD(S) has severely eroded, and that it would be a herculean task for him to succeed in the forthcoming elections on that party’s ticket.
Both these legislators, however, have encountered opposition well before their formal entry into the BJP. Twice, local BJP leaders have rushed to Bengaluru to oppose their entry on grounds that the party has a strong support base and several ticket aspirants as well.
