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Published Nov 28, 2024 | 2:01 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 29, 2024 | 12:11 PM
FIR filed against BJP MLA Yatnal over allegations of political conspiracy
It’s getting hotter in Karnataka, and it’s not just the weather!
The BJP’s Karnataka unit is grappling with an internal heatwave as Bijapur City MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s faction kicked off a controversial Waqf Awareness Drive. The drive, instead of strengthening the party, is shining a light on some deep fissures within the party.
The Yatnal Express, which includes big names like former ministers Aravind Limbavali, Ramesh Jarkiholi, and former MP Annasaheb Jolle, hit the road on Monday, 25 November.
Their mission? Target Waqf properties and muster support across the Kalyana Karnataka region. But, there is a twist!
BJP’s state leaders, including General Secretary Preetam Gowda, are officially distancing themselves faster than you can say “high command.” Gowda has outright declared the drive as ‘not party-endorsed’ and is prepping to complain to big bosses in Delhi against Yatnal.
Even BJP state president BY Vijayendra has stepped in, urging Yatnal to hit the brakes on his rally and focus on, well, teamwork. But Yatnal, never one to mince words, isn’t having any of it.
In his fiery style, he accused Vijayendra of cozying up to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar during night hours. He didn’t stop there. He went for the jugular, claiming that the father-son duo of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and Vijayendra are going soft to save themselves from legal hot water.
Addressing a rally in Kalaburagi on 25 November, Yatnal didn’t just criticize. He went in full kingmaker mode, declaring his intent to build a “new team” where he would hold the ultimate power to distribute party tickets in the future.
This fiery rhetoric hasn’t set well with the BJP rank and file. Enraged district unit presidents are packing their bags for a December showdown in Delhi, where they plan to officially complain about Yatnal’s uppitiness to the party high command.
Will the BJP high command play peacemaker? Will Yatnal’s bold gambit pay off? Or is this the beginning of a bigger shake-up in Karnataka’s political landscape?
Stay tuned as the drama unfolds—because if there’s one thing Karnataka politics guarantees, it’s never a dull moment!
