Depressed supporter of Basanagouda Patil Yatnal dies in car accident

VIJAYAPURA: A day after the BJP expelled Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda R Patil Yatnal from the party for six years, a follower of the lawmaker and secretary of the Vijayapura city ST morcha, Santosh Tatagar died after his car crashed into a tree. Santosh was said to have slipped into depression after Yatnal’s expulsion.

Santosh, a resident of Rambhapur, had called the ST morcha president Shankar Hugar on Wednesday evening and had asked what would be the way ahead. He had even offered to resign from the post. “See what I’ll do”, he had said and cut the call.

Soon after, Santosh met with an accident and died. Following his death, party workers blamed the BJP top brass for the death which took the decision to expell Yatnal.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, a spate of resignations followed in Vijayapura with city ST morcha president Shankar Hugar, Raitha Morcha president Raju Biradar and district secretary Siddu Hebbal quitting their posts.

Several of Yatnal’s supporters vented their anger at the party bosses and said he was made a scapegoat as part of a conspiracy to protect vested interests. They also demanded that Yatnal’s expulsion should be revoked. They also said that about 160 office-bearers would resign from their positions.