BJP expels Karnataka rebel Yatnal for ‘indiscipline’, gives a leg-up to Vijayendra

The BJP leadership’s move came almost six weeks after a second show-cause notice was issued to Yatnal for his alleged anti-party activities.

The BJP’s expulsion order to Yatnal, issued by Om Pathak, member secretary of the party’s Central Disciplinary Committee, stated: “Central Disciplinary Committee… has considered your response to the show cause notice dated 10th February 2025 and has taken serious note of your repeated violations of the party discipline, despite your assurances of good behavior and conduct in response to earlier show cause notices. It has accordingly been decided to expel you for a period of 6 years with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party and you stand removed from any party position that you may (have) held until now.”

The February 10 show cause notice was the second one in three months that was issued to Yatnal for his alleged violation of party discipline.

A senior MLA and ex-Union minister, Yatnal had been spearheading a campaign against Vijayendra for several months, seeking his removal from his post.

Accompanied by some members of his faction, such as former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and ex-minister Kumar Bangarappa, Yatnal visited Delhi several times in January and February to urge the party high command to jettison Vijayendra.

Responding to the development, Vijayendra said in a post on X that the BJP leadership has never compromised with discipline. “The disciplinary action against Yatnal was taken inevitably after detailed deliberations on the situation of the party,” he said, claiming that he had never complained to the leadership over the row.

The first show-cause notice to Yatnal was issued by the BJP leadership in December 2024 for his “continuing tirade against the state-level party leadership” and “defiance of party directives”. Yatnal had responded to the notice, saying later that he had apprised the leadership of the prevailing state of affairs in the state unit.

As his attack on Vijayendra continued on a daily basis, he was issued a second notice on February 10, even as Yediyurappa’s supporters stepped up pressure on the BJP leadership for action.

In his reaction to the leadership’s move, a defiant Yatnal, in a post on X, 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… Certain vested interests have played their part in furthering their agenda successfully. The decision to suspend me will 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

Soon after Vijayendra’s appointment as the Karnataka BJP chief in November 2023, Yatnal had accused Yediyurappa of “black-mailing” the BJP high command to secure the top party position for his son, a first-time MLA from Shikaripura. Yatnal had called Vijayendra “characterless and corrupt” as part of his relentless attacks on him and Yediyurappa.

The feud between Yatnal and Vijayendra was also seen as an extension of the tussle between BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and Yediyurappa over control of the state party unit. Yatnal has been affiliated to the Santhosh camp.