Karnataka minister demands expulsion of fellow bjp legislator for remarks against cm

KARNATAKA MINISTER DEMANDS EXPULSION OF FELLOW BJP LEGISLATOR FOR REMARKS AGAINST CM Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVenkatesha Babu Oct 22, 2020 02:55 AM IST YATNAL ON TUESDAY HAD ACCUSED CM

YEDIYURAPPA OF FOCUSSING ONLY ON SHIVAMOGGA DISTRICT WHICH IS HIS POWERBASE AND NEGLECTING OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. HE HAD ALSO CLAIMED THAT THE HIGH COMMAND WOULD REPLACE YEDIYURAPPA WITH

A NORTH KARNATAKA LEADER AS THE CHIEF MINISTER OF THE STATE SHORTLY A day after former union minister and current BJP MLA from Vijayapura, Basangouda Patil Yatnal claimed that the party

high command would replace Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa shortly; there have been calls for him to be expelled from the party. K S Eshwarappa, minister for rural development and panchayati

raj who is also a former BJP state unit chief and deputy CM speaking to reporters in Koppal, said that Yatnal must be “expelled from the party without even being given notice”. Yatnal on

Tuesday had accused CM Yediyurappa of focussing only on Shivamogga district which is his powerbase and neglecting other parts of the state. He had also claimed that the high command would

replace Yediyurappa with a North Karnataka leader as the Chief Minister of the state shortly. A majority of the 117 BJP MLA’s in the assembly have been elected from Northern Karnataka.

Opposition leaders including Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah taunted the CM over Yatnal’s remarks and had said a faction of the BJP was trying to overthrow the CM. The

Congress, Siddaramaiah had said was ready to face polls if the government fell due to internal bickering within the BJP. While the CM himself has remained mum on the issue, several of his

party leaders including state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and the political secretary of Yediyurappa, M P Renukacharya have all denied that there would be a change in the leadership.

Kateel declared that ‘Yediyurappa would be the CM of the state for the next three years’. Some of the party leaders have accused Yatnal of attacking the CM for not getting a cabinet berth.

However, Yatnal after launching a blistering attack on the CM publicly, again defiantly tweeted today saying, “For the welfare of Karnataka and to be a voice of the people I am doing my job

with a clear conscience. It is not my nature to fall at somebody’s feet to become a minister.” Eshwarappa attacked Yatnal saying that, “some people are issuing statements just to be in the

limelight. I appeal to BJP president Kateel to expel him without giving notice. If he had grievances why did he keep quiet in the legislature party?” The minister also claimed that nobody

could destabilise the BJP government in the state Political analyst Prof Harish Ramaswamy though says that internal party differences and cabinet not being expanded are some of the reasons

why the internal BJP fight is coming out into the open. “I don’t believe that action would be taken against Yatnal as he is as senior a leader as Yediyurappa and also hails from the

influential Lingayat community. It is unlikely that Yatnal would have made these comments without some backing from Central leaders.” The Karnataka unit of the BJP tweeted quoting state

party president Nalin Kumar Kateel, “There is no question of a leadership change. Yediyurappa will remain the CM for the next three years. Action will be taken against those violating party

discipline.” * Bjp * Karnataka Get Latest real-time updates on India News, Weather Today and Latest News, Shashi Tharoor on Hindustan Times. Get Latest real-time updates on India News,

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