Expelled BJP MLA S.T. Somashekhar blames Shobha Karandlaje for party’s internal crisis

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Jun 26, 2026: Expelled BJP MLA from Yeshwanthpur, S.T. Somashekhar, on Thursday alleged that Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje was responsible for the internal dissent and cross-voting that has rocked the BJP in Karnataka.

Speaking to reporters, Somashekhar claimed that Karandlaje was behind the growing rift within the party. "Shobha is responsible for all these problems in the BJP. She neither likes R. Ashoka nor B.Y. Vijayendra. She has been targeting them and creating chaos in the party. She is also responsible for maligning both Ashoka and Vijayendra," he alleged.

Interestingly, Somashekhar, then a Congress leader, had unsuccessfully contested against Karandlaje from the Yeshwanthpur Assembly constituency in 2008.

Referring to the recent MLC elections, Somashekhar said neither the BJP leadership nor party leaders had asked him or expelled BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar to vote for the BJP.

"The Chief Minister called us, assured grants for our constituencies, and the grants were provided. I cast my vote and have openly admitted it. If they have the capacity, let them find out who cross-voted," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra, who had earlier proposed holding a BJP Legislature Party (BLP) meeting in Dharmasthala, is scheduled to visit the temple town on Friday on his own.

Although Vijayendra’s visit is said to be a personal one, it has sparked speculation over whether it is linked to the cross-voting controversy during the June 18 MLC elections.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka confirmed during a press conference that the proposed BLP meeting in Dharmasthala had been cancelled.