Bengaluru:
The BJP, in face of massive dissent in its Karnataka unit, has handled it with exemplary action against one of them. Vijayapura MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, who was extremely vocal about Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and his son and questioned the party about the latter’s appointment as the state unit chief – has been expelled from for six years. The Vijayapura MLA was earlier known to be close to the former Chief Minister.
Mr Yatnal, initially a loyalist of BS Yediyurappa, fell out with the party after the outgoing Chief Minister chose Basavaraj Bommai as his successor. He was also outspoken about the party choosing Mr Yediyurappa’s son as its state chief. His comments in then Ranya Rao case did not go down well with the top BJP leadership, sources indicated.
The note from the party today said its Central Disciplinary Committee considered his response to a showcause notice sent to him on February 18. They have taken “serious note of your repeated violations of party discipline, despite your assurances of good behaviour and conduct in response to earlier,” the note read.
“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,” the note added.
Mr Yatnal had questioned the party on why no Chief Minister was chosen from north Karnataka even though the area contributed heavily to the party’s strength in the assembly.
But his dissent against the appointment of Mr Yediyurappa’s son put him in a collision course with the party.
Today, in his response to his expulsion, he indirectly touched upon the issue.
“Everyone from Yediyurappa’s family has to come — his sons, grandsons, dogs and their puppies. It is done now… All this is the reward for working hard,” he said.
His post on X later also alluded to the matter. He said it would not “deter my fight against corruption, family politics, development of North Karnataka & Hindutva. I will continue to serve my people with the same vigour & tenacity”.
The party has expelled me for 6 years for speaking against dynasty politics, corruption, reforms within the party, remove one man upmanship & request to develop North Karnataka.
The party has rewarded me for ‘Calling a Spade, a Spade’
Certain vested interests have played their…
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) March 26, 2025
State BJP chief BY Vijayendra said the senior leaders of the party have “never compromised on this principle”. “The disciplinary action taken against @BasanagoudaBJP is a decision made after careful observation of the situation over a long period by the senior leadership,” read his post on X, formerly Twitter.
The appointment of BS Vijayendra had sparked a huge row in the state BJP, with a chunk of MLAs criticising the move.
But the BJP stood by the new party chief and the central leadership refused to entertain the dissenters, who, besides Mr Yatnal, included BP Harish, former MLA Kumar Bangarappa and former Union Minister GM Siddeshwar.
A showcause notice was issued to Mr Yatnal, that read, “The party has taken note of your continuing tirade and breach of discipline, in clear contravention of the discipline code in the party constitution”.
Mr Yatnal, a former Union minister who had worked under then Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, had never concealed his Chief Ministerial ambitions.
Ahead of the 2023 assembly election, he claimed that he has all the eligibilities to become the Chief Minister and the party could easily win 150 seats if it goes to polls under his leadership.
