Mangaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party has expelled former MLA Raghupathi Bhat for six years following his rebellion against the party.
The decision of the State Disciplinary Committee was announced on Saturday by its president Lingaraj Patil.
Bhat, a three-time MLA from Udupi, has chosen to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming Karnataka Legislative Council election for the Southwest Graduates' constituency, challenging the BJP's official candidate.
The expulsion order cites his actions as embarrassing to the party and a violation of its discipline.
Bhat's political career includes victories in Udupi for the BJP in 2004, 2008, and 2018. Before this, he had also served as a member of the Udupi Municipal Council and as the president of the Udupi district Yuva Morcha.
Despite his initial silence after being replaced by Yashpal Suvarna in the 2023 assembly election, Bhat voiced his dissatisfaction during the forthcoming Council election.
The Southwest Graduates' constituency, covering Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Channagiri and Honnali Taluks of Davangere, has been a BJP stronghold. The seat has been with the BJP for over four decades.
