MP Renukacharya. (File Photo)
A group of former BJP legislators in Karnataka, led by MP Renukacharya, on Friday urged the party high command to expel senior MLA Basangowda Patil Yatnal for openly criticizing state chief BY Vijayendra. Renukacharya, along with some like-minded party leaders on the issue, said they plan to hold a massive rally in Davangere in the coming days in what is expected to be a show of strength.
The group led by Renukacharya includes K Subramanya Naidu, Hartal Halappa, Rupali Naik, Basavaraj Dadesugur and others who are supporters of Vijayendra. The group led by Renukacharya plans to visit various parts of the state including temples.
Criticism of Vijayendra
Sources said the purpose of the trip is to confront Yatnal and his group. During this time, party workers would unite in support of Vijayendra and his father BS Yeddyurappa. A group of party leaders led by senior MLA Yatnal has been criticizing the state leadership, especially Vijayendra. It includes MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, BP Harish and former MLAs Arvind Limbavli, Kumar Bangarappa and GM Siddheshwar.
collusion with the ruling Congress
Keeping a distance from the recent protests organized by the party on the Waqf issue, they are running a parallel movement on the issue. Yatnal and Jarkiholi are openly criticizing Vijayendra. He has accused Vijayendra of engaging in accommodation politics with the ruling Congress.
Try to control
He has also claimed that Vijayendra and his father Yeddyurappa are trying to keep the party (BJP) under their control. Renukacharya called Yatnal an agent of Congress. He said that there are many differences between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. However, he does not speak out about it but he (Yatnal) engages in unnecessary confrontations.
Questions on National President Nadda’s decisions
He said that party leaders and workers are frustrated with such trivialities and they should stop it. They (BJP) claim to have the support of national level leaders but do not reveal who they are. The former MLA also accused Yatnal of questioning the decisions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda and speaking against Yeddyurappa and the party leadership.
