Avengers assemble against B Y Vijayendra in Karnataka BJP

Yatnal and Ramesh held a meeting with former BJP MLA Kumar Bangarappa’s residence in Bengaluru. Former Mysore MP Pratap Simha also attended this meeting.

Bengaluru: Disgruntled BJP lawmakers Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi on Thursday kickstarted their attempt to stitch up a team of “like-minded” leaders to revolt against the saffron party’s veteran B S Yediyurappa and his son, the party’s state president B Y Vijayendra.

Yatnal and Ramesh held a meeting with former BJP MLA Kumar Bangarappa’s residence here. Former Mysore MP Pratap Simha also attended this meeting.

“We discussed how the BJP has become a father-son party. We must free the party from their hold,” Yatnal told reporters.

Yatnal, a known Yediyurappa baiter, accused the former chief minister and his son of “anti-party activities” during the recent Lok Sabha polls. “We want to tell the high command about all that,” he said.

Before going to the BJP high command, Yatnal said a “big meeting” will be held in a week’s time with “like-minded” leaders to discuss the party’s future in Karnataka. “I didn’t know there was so much disgruntlement within the party,” he said.

Yatnal said defeated candidates are not being taken into confidence by the current state leadership. “There’s a widespread opinion that candidates were betrayed (during the election),” he said.

BJP leaders like Yatnal and former minister Aravind Limbavali were critical of the party’s functioning during the recent monsoon session of the legislature.

“During the session, Vijayendra behaved like (Deputy Chief Minister) D K Shivakumar’s agent, standing before him holding a file...so helpless for a party president,” Yatnal said.

Yatnal, a former Union minister, was also cynical about the BJP’s Bengaluru-Mysuru foot march against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s involvement in a site allotment scam. “(Vijayendra) must first reveal what his relationship with Shivakumar is,” he said. “You're also involved in this corrupt episode. Even Yediyurappa is involved. This (scam) happened under Yediyurappa’s rule. Let it be investigated,” he added.

Unhappy with the BJP’s focus on the Mysuru site allotment scam, Ramesh Jarkiholi has sought permission from the party’s high command for a foot march from Bengaluru to Ballari to highlight embezzlement of money at the ST Development Corporation.