BJP expels Karnataka spokesperson MG Mahesh: ‘I’m shocked,’ says veteran

A day after being expelled from the BJP for six years, the party’s former spokesperson in Karnataka, M G Mahesh, said he was “shocked” at the disciplinary committee’s decision as he had only spoken “in the party’s interest”. Mahesh’s expulsion followed an internal meeting where he blamed the Karnataka BJP leadership for mismanagement during the recent MLC elections.

On June 19, a day after the Karnataka MLC elections were held, a BJP party meeting was held virtually. “During the meeting, I shared public opinion related to the recent MLC elections and cross-voting. The sole intention was to address the ongoing problems within the party, and it was an internal meeting. I am shocked that I have been expelled by the party for speaking in the interest of the party,” Mahesh said.

The results of the Karnataka MLC elections showed that at least six of the 63 BJP MLAs had cross-voted in favour of the Congress candidates, and one cast an invalid vote

According to the sources, Mahesh accused the national general secretary and the party’s state in-charge, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, of not taking cognisance of the elections. “The whip was issued only after 23 votes were cast. He also complained that the state leadership failed to attack the ruling government over irregularities,” a source who attended the meeting said.

A BJP leader said Mahesh also raised objections to fielding former Congress leader R Raghu Kautilya for the MLC elections, and not leaders who have been working with the party for decades.

On June 22, Mahesh received a notice from the state BJP unit, which alleged that he had abused senior party leaders in the meeting and made derogatory allegations, and sought an explanation. On June 26, Mahesh responded to the notice. Days later, he was expelled.

Saying he is still in shock, Mahesh said that he would continue to follow the party’s ideology.

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Mahesh joined the BJP in 1982 and has been a prominent party worker in the Mysuru region. An RSS ideologue, Mahesh played a key role in organising events for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Ekta Yatra, etc in the Mysuru region.

Sadananda Gowda in audio clip row

Post the MLC elections, the infighting within the Karnataka BJP has come to the fore. In a viral audio clip, former Union minister and former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda is purportedly heard urging someone to wait till state BJP president B Y Vijayendra’s term ends.

In the clip, a man purported to be Gowda can be heard saying: “He completes his three-year term in November. If we wait two more months, his tenure will end, and no one can complain. July, August, September, October…kick him out.” Gowda has denied that the voice in the clip is his.

Gowda has also been embroiled in a row with BJP MLA S R Vishwanath. Calling Vishwanath a “land grabber”, Gowda alleged that the BJP MLA served under the directions of the late underworld don Mutthappa Rai before entering politics. His statement came days after Vishwanath said that no one from the coastal Karnataka region belongs to the Vokkaliga community. Gowda is from the Dakshina Kannada district.

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Kempegowda Jayanthi controversy

In another controversy involving Vishwanath, he and Chikkaballapur MP Sudhakar clashed over organising Kempegowda Jayanthi celebrations last week. While Vishwanath has been organising the celebrations in Yelahanka, this time, in a first, Sudhakar also held the event in the same region.

“Sudhakar has been dividing BJP party workers. I challenge Sudhakar to contest from Yelahanka, or I will challenge him in Chikkaballapur,” Vishwanath said. To this, Sudhakar hit back, “If he has the guts, let him come to Chikkaballapur on any party ticket. I am ready to contest from Yelahanka. I am a BJP worker, and I will do what my party says.”

In the 2023 Assembly elections, Sudhakar was among the sitting ministers who lost. He lost the Chikkaballapur seat to Congress candidate Pradeep Eshwar. A year later, when Vishwanath was trying to get a ticket for his son, Sudhakar bagged a Lok Sabha ticket and won the elections.