BJP expels rebel Karnataka MLA Basanagouda Yatnal from party for six years

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The BJP has expelled its rebel MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from the party for six years.

Yatnal said he has been expelled from the party for speaking against dynasty politics and corruption.

The MLA from Vijayapura was quite vocal against former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son, B Y Vijayendra, who is BJP state president, and their dynasty politics' and corruption'.

He was twice served show-cause notices and finally sacked from the party on Tuesday.

"Central Disciplinary Committee of the party has considered your response to the show cause notice dated 10 February 2025 and has taken serious note of your repeated violation of the party discipline, despite your assurances of good behavior and conduct in response to earlier show cause notices," the order issued by the CDC member Om Pathak said.

"It has accordingly been decided to expel you for a period of six years with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party and you stand removed from any party position that you may hold until now, it added.

Vijayendra termed Yatnal's expulsion an "unfortunate necessity".

"There has never been, nor will there ever be, any compromise on discipline and ideology values that have been steadfastly upheld by our esteemed senior leaders and the leadership before us," Vijayendra said in a post on X'.

He said after thorough deliberation on recent developments within the party, a disciplinary action against Yatnal has been taken.

"I have neither formally registered nor verbally expressed grievances with the party leadership about the recent events," he clarified.

Taking to 'X' on Wednesday, Yatnal, a former Union Minister, said, "The party has expelled me for 6 years for speaking against dynasty politics, corruption, reforms within the party, remove one upmanship & request to develop North Karnataka."  "The party has rewarded me for 'Calling a Spade, a Spade'. Certain vested interests have played their part in furthering their agenda successfully," he added.

Yatnal said the decision to suspend him will not deter his fight against corruption, family politics, development of North Karnataka and Hindutva.

"I will continue to serve my people with the same vigour & tenacity. I thank all the Karyakarthas, well wishers, friends, acquaintances, Swamijis, Media, my family, which has been a pillar of support & the almighty."  He also quoted a Kannada poem written by the 15-16th century poet Purandara Dasa, which says, "This is not the time for the truthful. This is the time for the wicked to prosper."  A staunch critic of Yediyurappa and his "dynasty politics", Yatnal had also started mobilising supporters including the MLAs, former MPs and a huge number of people while taking out a march from Bidar to Chamarajanagar against Waqf Act and notices to farmers, institutions and individuals by the Waqf Board without taking the state party leadership into confidence.

Recently he was bringing together Lingayat leaders, seers and people, which was seen by the state BJP leadership as an attempt to emerge as the Lingayat strongman', a position believed to have been acquired by Yediyurappa.