BJP expels MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for 6 years over ‘anti-party’ remarks

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, March 26, has expelled Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Karnataka MLA from Vijayapura, for six years over ‘anti-party’ remarks. Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has been expelled with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal was informed of the party's decision to expel him for six years in a letter from BJP's Central Disciplinary Committee secretary Om Pathak.

The letter read: “Central Disciplinary Committee of the party 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 [six] years with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party and you stand removed from any party position that you may held until now.”

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal reacts to his expulsion

After his expulsion from the party for six years, Basanagouda Patil said his party has targetted him for “calling a spade, a spade”.

In a post on X, Yatnal wrote, “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'.”

In a veiled attack on BY Vijayendra and his father BS Yediyurappa over ‘dynasty politics’, the Karnataka MLA said, “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.”

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has been at the center of controversies and rows over a number of things – from making indecent remarks against Ranya Rao after she was arrested in the gold smuggling case to accusing state chief BY Vijayendra of “corruption” and “adjustment politics”.

Back in February, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal received a show cause notice from the party's Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) for his “continuing tirade and breach of party discipline,” giving the Karnataka MLA to justify why the party should not take disciplinary action against him.

“The party has taken note of your continuing tirade and breach of party discipline, in clear contravention of the discipline code as enshrined in the Bharatiya Janata Party constitution and rules thereunder. Despite your assurances of good behaviour and conduct in response to earlier show cause notices, you continue to violence and flout your own assurances,” the notice read.

Previously, on December 2, 2024, Basanagouda Yatnal had received another show cause notice from the party, over his remarks against the state-level party leadership. He also mentioned that the December notice was the fourth such notice.