Panaji, Oct 8 (TOI): The BJP has set the ball rolling for the 2017 assembly elections. Former Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar, who had quit BJP a few months before the March 2012 assembly elections to contest on the Congress ticket, returned to his old party on Wednesday.

Patnekar was re-admitted during a brief function at the party office by state president Vinay Tendulkar.

Former BJP Pernem MLA Dayanand Sopte too is likely to join the party soon. He left BJP in October 2011 after it became clear that he will not get the BJP ticket in the 2012 election. The BJP allotted the ticket to Rajendra Arlekar, the new forest and environment minister who contested from Pernem constituency as it came to be reserved in 2012 assembly polls.

Without revealing any name of who is next in line to join BJP, Tendulkar said many workers from other parties who polled 1,000 and more votes in the March zilla panchayat elections will join BJP in the days to come.

Speaking to the media, Patnekar said his re-entry into BJP is unconditional.

The exit of Patnekar in 2012 was a big jolt to the BJP and it could not retain the Bicholim seat despite it being its stronghold. Patnekar too lost to independent candidate Naresh Sawal.

Subsequent attempts by BJP leaders to promote a lower rung leader in an attempt to brace up for 2017 assembly elections did not meet with any success. BJP's Shilpa Naik who was tipped to be the probable Bicholim candidate for assembly elections automatically stands dropped after her humiliating defeat in the Zilla Panchayat elections from Latambarcem.

Patnekar's return to the partyfold has to be read against this perspective though a formal announcement of his candidature will come as and when the party formally declares its candidate.

To a question, Tendulkar said that Patnekar's entry is a part of the BJP preparation for the assembly elections of 2017. "His entry is unconditional and he will work for the party," he added nevertheless.

The return of Sopte, who is set to make a comeback, has been delayed a little as he resigned recently from the Congress party. The party bosses are keen to have Sopte back as he could hurt BJP in the 2017 elections. Though BJP had not taken Sopte seriously when he quit in 2011 to join Congress, they can't take such chances any more. Sopte contested from Mandrem constituency against chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar. While Sopte polled 8,250 votes, Parsekar got 11,955 votes.