BJP prepares the ground for Reddy’s expulsion

The Karnataka unit of the BJP has prepared the ground for the expulsion of its suspended legislator Janardhan Reddy for his failure to provide concrete evidence against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and his ministerial colleagues in the bribery scandal.

A team of senior leaders of the BJP, comprising Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the party’s Karnataka unit President D V Sadananda Gowda, is expected to leave for New Delhi to recommend the party’s national leadership to expel Reddy from the party.

The BJP leadership in Karnataka is of the firm view that Reddy’s act of openly accusing the Chief Minister of accepting Rs 1.5 billion in bribe and his failure to provide corroborative evidence in the matter amounted to a virtual revolt in the party. For, the BJP was a partner in the coalition Government headed by H D Kumaraswamy.

The BJP leaders, who met in Bangalore on Friday, had already dispatched a report to BJP national President Rajnath Singh, which contains the “inconsequential and hollow evidence” provided by Reddy to prove his bribery charges against the Chief Minister.

The BJP leadership is also expected to seek the suspension of former federal Minister Basavaraj Patil Yatnal and BJP’s state unit general secretary Aravind Limbavalli for supporting Janardhan Reddy in the bribery scandal.

Senior BJP leader and Minister for Water Resources K S Eshwarappa told reporters that the party will seek the expulsion of Reddy and the suspension of Yatnal and Aravind Limbavalli.