Differing voices in BJP over action against Yatnal

Bengaluru: Senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a known rabble-rouser, has put the saffron party in a spot at a time when the B Y Vijayendra-led state party unit is trying to crawl out of the shadow of the Assembly poll defeat.

Yatnal’s charge that the BJP government oversaw a Rs 40,000-crore Covid-19 scam has given ammunition to the Congress, leaving senior saffron leaders in a Catch-22 situation. 

Even those who want to defend Yatnal, given his hardline Hindutva credentials, have been left in the cold.

However, those who want Yatnal to remain in the party appear to have partially succeeded in ensuring that the state unit ‘goes slow’ on acting against the Bijapur city MLA or other senior rebel leaders like V Somanna, who have been critical of party veteran B S Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra. 

Yatnal’s statements were discussed at a senior leaders’ meeting on Thursday.

One participant told DH that though leaders from Yediyurappa camp pressed for Yatnal’s expulsion, seniors such as K S Eshwarappa, Araga Jnanendra, Basavaraj Bommai and others strongly suggested that the state unit must take help of the party top brass to silence rebels and win them over, in order to win big in the Lok Sabha polls.  

“It was his (Yatnal) statement prior to Assembly elections which made Congress launch the ‘PayCM’ campaign. Now, he is at it again. These statements show our party in bad light. So, the party must take steps to expel him (Yatnal),” former minister M P Renukacharya reportedly demanded at the meeting. This was countered by Eshwarappa and others, saying that the party must not take hasty decisions. 

The conundrum over Yatnal’s statements was palpable. Before the meeting, Eshwarappa described Yatnal as a ‘Hindu tiger’. However, he said he cannot support Yatnal over statements that put the BJP in a spot.

Jnanendra said that he is “deeply pained” by the way Yatnal is making statements against the party.

“Yatnal is a good leader. But none can endorse such statements. I leave it to the party’s senior leaders to take note of his statements,” he said. 

Amidst the animosity, Vijayendra is scheduled to visit Vijayapura district, Yatnal’s home district, on December 30.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Yatnal to depose before the Justice H N Nagmohan Das Commission that is probing the ‘40 per cent commission’ allegation and give a statement on his allegations.