The ongoing rebellion in the Opposition BJP has taken a new twist, with the party high command again issuing a show-cause notice to prominent rebel leader and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Monday for violating party discipline by continuing his tirade against State leadership.
The notice has been issued at a time when both the rebel leaders and party State president B.Y. Vijayendra are in Delhi to meet central leaders. Asking him to show cause as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him, the party has given Mr. Yatnal 72 hours to reply.
Multiple notices
This is not the first time that Mr. Yatnal, who is the face of rebel leaders, has been served a show-cause notice by the party. While a few such notices had been issued to him earlier, this is the second such being issued to Mr. Yatnal in the last two months. The last notice was issued to him on December 2, 2024, for publicly attacking veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa and his son Mr. Vijayendra.
“The party has taken note of your continuing tirade and breach of party discipline in clear contravention of the discipline code as enshrined in the BJP constitution and the rules thereunder,” said the notice issued by party central disciplinary committee member secretary Om Pathak.
“Despite your assurances of good behaviour and conduct in response to earlier show-cause notices, you continue to violate and flout your own assurances,” the notice said, in a reference to the continuous tirade by the senior MLA from Vijayapura against the party State leadership.
“Please note that in the event of non-receipt of your explanation within the time stipulated, the committee may assume that you have nothing to say and it may proceed to take a final view in the matter,” the notice further said.
How it escalated
Though internal tussle has gripped the party for over a year, trouble intensified in the last 15 to 20 days, ever since the process of election to the State president through the appointment of chiefs for the party district units commenced. The rebels had visited Delhi last week to complain to the party central leaders that the process of appointment of district units lacked transparency and to allege that Mr. Vijayendra had managed to push his own candidates for the posts so that he can retain his post when elections are held for it.
Mr. Vijayendra had responded sharply to this by questioning the central leaders’ silence when a veteran leader like Mr. Yediyurappa was being attacked by rebels. Mr. Yatnal had remained adamant by declaring that he was an aspirant for not just the party State president’s post, but also the Chief Ministerial position in future.
However, the scene again shifted to Delhi since Sunday as Mr. Vijayendra had been reportedly summoned by the party central leadership and the rebels too had visited Delhi to attend the house warming ceremony of the official residence of Union Minister V. Somanna.
Yatnal’s claim
Hours before the show-cause notice was issued, Mr. Yatnal had told media persons that the central leadership had indicated to them through Mr. Somanna that it would take everyone into confidence before the appointment of the next State president. He had claimed that the central leadership was likely to hold a meeting in Delhi soon to elicit their views.
It remains to be seen now whether the notice would have any impact on the rebellion and other related developments in the party State unit.
