BJP rejects calls for BY Vijayendra's ouster as party's Karnataka chief

Action against senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who has been served a show cause notice, will be decided by high command based on his response, said BJP.

Rejecting calls for B Y Vijayendra's ouster as Karnataka BJP president, party national general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agrawal on Saturday said the leadership is not changed based on someone's demand.

Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra.

Any action against senior MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who has been served a show cause notice, will be decided by high command based on his response, he said.

The state BJP core committee that met, amid factional rift within the BJP with the Yatnal-led group openly criticising Vijayendra and not accepting his leadership, discussed controlling such acts of "indiscipline" in consultation with the high command.

It was also decided at the meeting to bring to the notice of the party's national leadership for strict action against MLAs S T Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar, who are involved in "anti-party" activities and have identified themselves with the Congress party.

"The power to change or decide on the party leadership (in the state) lies with the grassroot level workers or with the national leadership of the party. No other individual has such powers," Agrawal said responding to a question about Yatnal and the team talking about changing leadership in the state.

Speaking to reporters after the core committee meeting, he said, "Party leadership is not changed based on someone's demand. Whatever is appropriate based on organisational requirements at that point in time, decisions are accordingly made. Today Vijayendra is appropriate, so he is our state president."

A faction of party leaders led by Yatnal, which includes MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, B P Harish, and former lawmakers Aravind Limbavali, Kumar Bangarappa and G M Siddeshwara among others, are critical of state leadership, especially Vijayendra.

Yatnal and a few of these leaders have been openly critical of Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress. They also accused him and his father, veteran leader B S Yediyurappa, of trying to keep the party under their clutches.

Responding to a question, Agrawal said, "There is nothing like Yatnal versus Vijayendra or Yatnal versus BJP in Karnataka... a show cause notice has been given to Yatnal and we will wait for his reply."

Once the response to the show cause notice is received, the party will decide the next course of action, he said, adding that "...we are not only talking about taking action, but we are also talking about not taking action. Everything will depend on what happens."

The BJP's central disciplinary committee earlier this week issued a show cause notice to Yatnal for "defiance" and hurling "false and veiled" allegations against the party's state leadership, especially Vijayendra.

Yatnal, who subsequently met leaders in Delhi, said he had submitted a six-page reply to the notice served to him, and has explained to the party leadership in detail, the alleged "adjustment politics, grand corruption and dynastic politics" prevailing in the Karnataka unit of the party.

Speaking to reporters after the crore committee meeting, Vijayendra said, at the meeting it was decided to control "indiscipline" activities of some party leaders that has been going on for a few months now, bringing it to the notice of the high command.

To a question on action against Yatnal and team, he said, the matter is already before the party high command. "He (Yatnal) had also appeared before the disciplinary committee. The ball is already in the high command's court, they will decide."

The state BJP chief said, at the core committee meeting, it was unanimously decided to take strict action against MLAs S T Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar who are involved in "anti-party" activities and have identified themselves with the Congress party.

"Things will be brought to the notice of the party's national president and a decision will be taken at the earliest. At the core committee meeting, almost every member was of the view that a decision should be taken regarding suspending them and moving for their disqualification as MLAs immediately, in consultation with the high command," he said.

Vijayendra further said, the core committee discussed the party's defeat in Sandur and Shiggaon Assembly bypolls recently, and decided to constitute a fact finding team led by former chief minister D V Sadananada Gowda and party vice president N Mahesh.