Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s friends to visit mutts seeking support for MLA expelled by BJP in Karnataka

Former minister and BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi is confident that Mr. Yatnal would not form a new party.

Friends and supporters of Basanagouda Patil Yatnal will seek the support of religious leaders for withdrawing his expulsion from the BJP, according to Ramesh Jarkiholi, former minister and BJP MLA. Ramesh Jarkiholi is among some leaders who are considered members of a group in the Karnataka unit of the BJP that is opposed to State president B.Y. Vijayendra.

“I am confident that Mr. Yatnal’s expulsion will be cancelled and he will be re-admitted. He will not form a new party,” Ramesh Jarkiholi told reporters in Belagavi on April 1.

“In our recent meeting, we decided to seek the support of religious leaders for revoking Mr. Yatnal’s expulsion and ensuring his re-entry into the BJP. A team of leaderrs, including Mr. Yatnal, will visit Lingayat mutts while another team, including me, Arvind Limbavali, and Kumar Bangarappa, will visit SC/ST and OBC community mutts,” he said.

“Some BJP leaders met in Bengaluru following the expulsion of Mr. Yatnal. Meeting seers (to seek their support for Mr. Yatnal) was among the decisions taken at the meeting,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said. The leaders advised Mr. Yatnal not to criticise any BJP leader. “We have already told him not to make any statement that will upset BJP leaders or damage the party,” he said.

Ramesh Jarkiholi is confident that Mr. Yatnal would not form a new party. “There were organisations like the RSS and BJP to protect the interests of Hindutva. There is no need for another Hindutva party,” he said.