Munirathna, who defected from the Congress to help bring the incumbent BJP government to power, has turned jittery over whether he will ticket for the November 3 byelection to R.R. Nagar.
As the last date for filing nominations — October 16 — nears and the party is yet to announce tickets, and as a strong faction within the party is lobbying hard to deny him ticket, speculation is rife that he may even end up losing the race for nomination.
Mr. Munirathna held a meeting with his supporters in the constituency on Monday, where it is learnt that he expressed his wish to contest as an Independent candidate if denied ticket by the BJP. He reportedly took stock of the situation and sought suggestions. The idea of seeking ticket from the JD(S), which is yet to announce its candidate for R.R. Nagar, was also discussed, sources said. However, it was decided that he would wait for the BJP’s decision.
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