BENGALURU: With the BJP central disciplinary committee issuing a show-cause notice to ‘rebel’ leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the party high command has sent out a clear message that the party’s Karnataka unit president will be appointed unanimously. It came as a setback to Yatnal and his team who had been insisting on an election for the top party post, while also setting off warning bells among those who owe allegiance to him.
The show-cause notice is being seen as a part of the process to clear the decks for incumbent state party president BY Vijayendra to continue in the post. Though the party has set no norm of holding elections to the post in other states, Yatnal and his followers had insisted on it.
The party cracked the whip with the show-cause notice as it would be embarrassing to the party if Yatnal had contested the election or fielded his candidate against Vijayendra, political analysts said. “The high command had two options -- either to stick to its guns to confirm Vijayendra as president, or go with Yatnal’s line of argument for the election,” remarked a BJP leader.
In fact, Yatnal and his team were in the national capital on Monday and held a round of meeting at the Karnataka Bhavan. They got together again for the house-warming ceremony of Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna’s official quarters. Former CM and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai, Kumar Bangararappa, Murugesh Nirani, Mahesh Kumatalli among others were present.
After the meeting, Yatnal, while talking to reporters, claimed that his team got a message from the high command through Somanna that the party will not decide on the party state president in a hurry. Hitting out at Vijayendra that he is hoping to continue in the post, Yatnal stated that his team is equally hopes that he would be removed as party president through an election.
But later, he said that he would abide by the decision of the party, whatever it may be. “We have reposed faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he said.
BJP SENDS 2ND SHOW-CAUSE NOTICE TO YATNAL
The BJP central disciplinary committee has issued another show-cause notice to MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for “breach of party discipline”. The notice, issued by committee member-secretary Om Pathak, stated that they have taken note of Yatnal’s “continuing tirade” against the party’s state leadership and sought his reply within 72 hours.
BY VIJAYENDRA IN NEW DELHI TO MEET SHAH
Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra, who left for Delhi on Sunday evening, is likely to camp there for a couple of days to meet the party brass. He will return only after meeting Home Minister Amit Shah, who is busy with the Delhi post-election scenario and Manipur crisis.
FORMER MIN SRIRAMULU RETURNS FROM PRAYAGRAJ
Former minister B Sriramulu, who had expected the party high command to give him an audience in New Delhi, returned home after taking a holy dip at Prayagraj. The brass has seriously considered the report by a committee headed, on the party’s loss in the Sandur bypoll. The report has a mention of Sriramulu missing campaigning on the last five days before polling.