Bengaluru, Mar 28 (PTI) A section of BJP leaders met here on Friday and requested the party high command to reconsider the explusion of rebel MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal.

Asserting that they are united and have no plans to break away from the party, the leaders said they were ready to rectify any mistakes on their part, but would continue to fight for changes in the Karnataka BJP, including the replacement of state unit president B Y Vijayendra.

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Apart from Yatnal, MLAs -- Ramesh Jarkiholi and B P Harish, former union minister G M Siddeshwara and former MLA Kumar Bangarappa, were among others who attended the meeting.

The BJP on Wednesday expelled Yatnal, a former union minister, from the primary membership of the party for six years, for repeated violations of the party discipline.

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"Yatnal's expulsion from the party for six years has pained Hindu organisations in Karnataka, his political fans and more specially number of party workers. We are making it clear that we are not challenging or opposing the decision of the high command," Bangarappa said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, "Regarding Yatnal's expulsion, we humbly request the high command to reconsider it. There is demand in this regard from various communities not only Panchamasali Lingayats (to which Yatnal belongs), but also Veerashaiva Lingayats as a whole, Hindu organisations and BJP workers."

Expressing hope that the party will never let go of a karyakarta with a strong Hinduva and organisational background like Yatnal, Bangarppa tried to project his expulsion as an occurrence during the "bad times".

"Still if anything wrong has happened from small karyakartas like us, we all, including Yatnal, are ready to rectify and move ahead. We will abide by whatever the party guids or instructs us and march ahead in that path. But we will continue our fight for changes in the state BJP, we are intact," he added.

Factional rift had been out in public in the BJP for some time now, with a section led by Bijapur City MLA Yatnal demanding for Vijayendra's ouster from the president's post.

Yatnal had been openly critical of party state president Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress. He has also been criticising Vijayendra and his father -- veteran leader and former CM B S Yediyurappa-- for trying to keep the party under their clutches.

Seen as a strong proponent of "Hindutva", this is 61-year-old Yatnal's third expulsion from the party in 15 years. He was earlier expelled by BJP in 2010 and 2015.

Stating that they have been requesting the leadership to set right the party in Karnataka, Bangarappa said despite this, the party had made this "shocking" decision.

"Ramesh Jarkiholi has made an appeal to the high command. None of us have any intention to quit BJP and float a new party, or any such new plans. Our only intention is to organise the party and to bring it back to power on its own strength with full majority in 2028," he said.

With this intention, we have demanded for changes in the state unit of the party, the former minister said.

He further said, "We know that the leadership is aware of it and will be taking action in this regard in the days ahead, and we expect there will be good news."

Accepting that expulsion of a leader with the stature of Yatnal is a "set back" to their fight in the party, Bangarappa said some sort of misunderstanding or lack of information might have led to the decision.

"We will give right information to the high command and we will make all efforts to bring Yatnal back into the party. We will request the high command both individually and together, we will even try to meet the leadership in Delhi," he added.

Noting that a show cause notice had also been given to MLA B P Harish by the high command, Bangarappa said that as Friday was the last day for him to respond, at the meeting, senior leaders guided him regarding his response to the notice, with the help of legal and political advisors.

Asked whether they will still continue to demand for changing the state party president, he said, "we are hundred per cent committed to that stand. There is no change in that. Because this is not our voice alone, but it is the voice of the workers, as the organisation is weakening."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)