Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra denies any role in Yatnal's expulsion from party

Yatnal has said he will not start a new party and was determined to "repair" and come back to the saffron hold, by commanding respect.

Bengaluru: Denying any role in the expulsion of senior leader and MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal from the party, Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Saturday said the decision was entirely taken by the high command after a long watch, and that he had made honest efforts to take everyone in the party together, including the former.

He said he had for nearly a year tolerated Yatnal's insulting comments against him and his father -- veteran leader and former CM B S Yediyurappa -- in the interest of the party, and that his patience should be appreciated.

Vijayendra's statements came on a day when Yatnal spoke to a couple of Kannada news channels attacking Vijayendra and Yediyurappa.

Stating that he would begin his fight against dynasty politics, corruption and adjustment politics in Karnataka by travelling across the state and creating awareness among the people, aimed at saving the BJP's original ideology, Yatnal said he will not start a new party and was determined to "repair" and come back to the saffron hold, by commanding respect.

"Will remove the corrupt people and those who have made the party their personal property from the BJP in the state, and build a BJP that will protect Hindus in Karnataka," he said.

The BJP on Wednesday expelled Yatnal, a former uinion minister from the primary membership of the party for six years, for repeated violations of the party discipline.

Factional rift had been out in public in the BJP for some time now, with a section led by Bijapur City MLA Yatnal demanding for Vijayendra's ouster from the president's post.

Yatnal had been openly critical of Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress. He has also been criticising Vijayendra and his father Yediyurappa for trying to keep the party under their clutches.

Vijayendra, reacting to Yatnal's comments, said, "Our central leaders had tried to correct Yatnal several times by issuing him notices. Within two-three months after I became the state president I too had tried to reach out to him through MLC Ravi Kumar and other party leaders aimed at resolving minor confusions in the interest of the party and its workers."

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I even tried to meet him personally and had invited him for a dinner meeting during the legislature session, and had told him let's resolve things. I'm junior to Yatnal both in terms of age and experience."

Stating that as the state president he has the responsibility of taking everyone together, Vijayendra said he has made all honest efforts to fulfill this responsibility.

"I don't know whether it is the game of destiny or something, the party leaders after observing all this have announced their decision (to expel Yatnal)," he added.

Denying Yatnal's allegations about his and his father Yediyurappa's role in his expulsion, the Shikaripura MLA, while trying to highlight his father's role and struggle in building the party in the state along with other leaders, said, "I have even tolerated the insults done to Yeiyurappa, keeping party's interest in mind."

The high command's decision on Yatnal is neither influenced by Yediyurappa or Vijayendra, and that he as the state president hadn't put any pressure on the central leaders in this regard, he said. "I'm telling this honestly."

There is no question of him celebrating Yatnal's expulsion, Vijayendra said and added that if at all he had such a mindset, he will be unfit to continue as the party president.

BJP has never come to power on its own in the state, and the target before him is not to become the chief minister, he said. "Leadership has given him the responsibility to ensure that the party comes to power on its own strength....My appeal to party workers is I have no role in this (Yatnal's expulsion)."

The high command patiently waited for long before taking this decision. The state president pointing at repeated attacks by Yatnal against him and Yediyurappa said, "the patience I have shown in the last one year should be appreciated and accepted."

Asked if he would support the appeal by a section of party leaders to the high command to reconsider its decision to expel Yatnal, he said, "as the state president, I respect the decision of the central leadership."