'Followers of Shivaji Maharaj will win, not of Tipu Sultan's': Karnataka BJP MLA

Basangouda Patil Yatnal, BJP MLA from Vijayapura constituency of Karnataka has stated that "only followers of Shivaji Maharaj" will win from Bijapur in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections and not the "followers of Tipu Sultan."

Published on: Mar 1, 2023, 10:46:17 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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Basangouda Patil Yatnal, BJP MLA from Vijayapura constituency of Karnataka has stated that "only followers of Shivaji Maharaj" will win from Bijapur in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections and not the "followers of Tipu Sultan."

BJP legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal invoked Tipu Sultan while addressing a rally in Vijayapura. (HT Archives)

He said this while addressing an election rally in Vijayapura on Monday.

"All MLAs ask me, in your constituency, there are 1 lakh Tipu Sultans. How a Shivaji Maharaj descendants won from Bijapur. Going forward in Bijapur, none of the followers of Tipu Sultan will win, only Shivaji Maharaj's followers will win here," the BJP MLA said.

READ | ‘Don’t vote for them’: BJP MLA’s remarks trigger fresh row

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge, son of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has strongly objected to the comments made by the BJP MLA.

"It is not right to bring this kind of narrative into the politics of the state. We are Kannadigas & we prefer progressive politics. You need to talk about development activities& then get votes" Priyank Kharge said.

It has to be noted that the debate around Tipu Sultan has taken centre stage in the political corridors of Karnataka. Last week, Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel stated that followers of Tipu sultan should not be alive. Kateel also stated that upcoming elections will not be fought between BJP and congress but between Savarkar and Tipu Sultan.

READ | Hindu outfit demands removal of Tipu Sultan's name from Yadgir district circle; Section 144 imposed

In this regard, senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa made a statement while disagreeing with Tipu vs Savarkar narrative, stating that elections will be fought on development issues instead of ideological issues. He further stated that BJP will win the state elections on the basis of its development agenda and schemes.

Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka before May 2023.

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Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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