Manappa Vajjal, MLA from Lingsugur constituency, quit the Bharatiya Janata Party and joined the Janata Dal (Secular) on Saturday.
Mr. Vajjal ran into trouble in 2010 for defying the party whip and abstaining from the Assembly during the trust vote sought by the then Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Admitting Mr. Vajjal to the party, JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy said the former was pained by the apathy of the BJP government in addressing drinking water needs in his constituency and expressed his desire to join the JD(S) some months ago.