‘I was a thorn in their flesh’: Basanagouda Patil hits out at BJP leadership after suspension

In a strongly worded statement, Patil criticized the BJP high command for failing to take action against those responsible for the party’s setbacks.

A day after being suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior leader Basanagouda Patil took to social media to express his discontent, accusing the party leadership of indulging in 'adjustment politics' and overlooking its declining influence in Karnataka.

MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal.

The BJP expelled rebel MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from the party for six years on Wednesday. The Vijayapura MLA was twice served notices and finally he was sacked from the party on Tuesday.

In a strongly worded statement, Patil criticized the BJP high command for failing to take action against those responsible for the party’s setbacks in key strongholds while targeting those seeking reforms.

Read his post here:

Patil claimed that constituencies such as Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, Ballari, and Chikkodi—once BJP bastions—had suffered due to unchecked political maneuvering, yet no disciplinary measures were taken against those responsible. Instead, leaders like himself, who attempted to counter 'one-man upmanship' and 'family-centered politics,' were suspended or served notices.

“The high command is clueless about the party’s weakening position in North Karnataka, particularly among the Panchamasali Lingayats. The adjustment politics that led to BJP’s defeat in the Shiggaon by-poll—formerly held by ex-Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai—has been ignored,” he stated.

He further alleged that two legislators who openly supported the Congress faced no immediate consequences, with action being taken only after pressure from party workers.

Patil also pointed to the party’s failures in the Kalyana Karnataka region and the Davangere Lok Sabha seat, emphasizing that leaders who built the party from scratch—such as late G. Mallikarjunappa, B. Shivappa, K. S. Eshwarappa, and V. S. Acharya—had been sidelined.

“Some leaders in Karnataka now masquerade as carriers of the party’s legacy, but they are leading it to its downfall,” he added.

Highlighting his personal contributions, Patil said he spearheaded the Waqf Protests and fought legal battles, including challenging the withdrawal of CBI consent in the disproportionate assets case against Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar. He also raised issues like the alleged misappropriation in the Valmiki Board, KPSC’s failures, and the delay in the Upper Krishna Project—a crucial irrigation initiative for North Karnataka farmers.

Despite these efforts, Patil alleged that the party succumbed to internal pressure to remove him, branding him a 'thorn in their flesh.' He criticized the party's silence on a series of electoral defeats while swiftly acting against leaders like him for 'breach of discipline.'