The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled two Karnataka MLAs and former ministers, ST Somashekhar and Arabail Shivaram Hebbar, for six years for “anti-party activities”. The decision was announced on Tuesday, May 27, by BJP state president BY Vijayendra at a press conference in Bengaluru.
Somashekhar, the MLA of Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru, and Shivaram Hebbar, MLA of Yellapura in Uttara Kannada, were both inducted into the BJP in 2019 after defecting from the Congress during the controversial ‘Operation Kamala’. They were given ministerial positions in the cabinets of both former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai.
Since the BJP's defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections, both MLAs had increasingly aligned themselves with the Congress. They were seen attending Congress Legislature Party meetings, voting against BJP candidates in the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha elections, and distancing themselves from party protests in the Assembly.
Somashekhar, in particular, had publicly criticised the BJP leadership and justified his closeness with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar as necessary to secure development funds for his constituency.
The BJP’s central disciplinary committee had issued showcause notices to both legislators, who responded with their explanations. However, the party found their replies unsatisfactory and proceeded with their expulsion.
“It has accordingly been decided to expel you for a period of six years with immediate effect from the primary membership of the party and you stand removed from any party position that you hold as of now,” read BJP’s statement on their expulsion.