Who Are Somashekhar And Hebbar, The BJP MLAs Expelled For Anti-Party Activities In Karnataka?

Bengaluru, Karnataka: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled two of its MLAs from the party over alleged anti-party activities. The two MLAs who faced expulsion from the party for six years are ST Somashekhar, who represents Yeshwanthpur (Bengaluru) and Shivaram Hebbar, who represents Yellapur (Uttara Kannada.)

According to state BJP chief BY Vijayendra, the duo were given adequate time to rectify their behaviour, and the action was taken after the state unit recommended strict disciplinary action, emphasising the need to strengthen the party organisation ahead of local body elections. 

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The MLAs are yet to respond to the expulsion of the opposition BJP in the state. Notably, both MLAs defected from Congress and joined the BJP in 2019. In the then-chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s government, both received ministerial positions. Both had retained their Cabinet berths when Basavaraj Bommai replaced Yediyurappa as the chief minister.

However, after the Congress won the 2023 assembly elections, the MLAs allegedly began distancing themselves from the BJP and aligning with the Congress party. They also became rebels by voting against the BJP’s candidates in the state legislative council and Rajya Sabha elections and attending Congress legislature party meetings.

Somashekhar and Hebbar also distanced themselves from protesting against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka. Somashekhar had publicly criticised the BJP leadership while justifying his association with the ruling party, saying that it was to secure developmental funds for his constituency.

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Though the BJP central disciplinary committee had issued show cause notices to both legislators, it found their responses unsatisfactory and proceeded with taking action, expelling them from the party.

“And you stand removed from any party position that you hold as of now,” Hindustan Times quoted the statement.

In the expulsion statement issued by the saffron party, it said that it has accordingly been decided to expel the MLAs for a period of six years with immediate effect on the primary membership of the party.