50 Patils in election fray in NK region

Call it ‘Patil mania’, ‘Patil syndrome’, or ‘Patil phenomenon’, the Patil factor has remained a part of North Karnataka region with its a significant role in every election here.
This dominant presence of the Patils can be gauged with the fact that while nearly 50 Patils are in the fray in North Karnataka, in Vijayapura district alone, around 12 Patils are testing their luck either from different parties or as Independents.
In the 2008 Assembly elections, 17 Patils were in fray, while in last election in 2013, around 15 Patils contested from Vijayapura district. The Patils are present even in local bodies such as gram, taluk and zilla panchayats.
Avoiding confusion
In order to avoid confusion because of similarities in names, the Patils often add names of their native villages in their first names, for example, A.S. Patil (Nadahalli), Rajugouda Patil (Kudarisalotagi) and B.S. Patil (Yalagi). These are BJP, JD(S) and Congress candidates respectively.
Journalist Gopal Naik who has been seeing the Assembly elections since 1967, says the surname is very common in North Karnataka. “Patil surnames primarily attach with landlords or heads of particular areas who are financially rich. These two factors; leadership and money have helped them remain in the helm for decades, therefore, the Patils have been playing significant roles in almost all the elections as they still enjoy that status even after Independence,” he said.

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