Congress MLA and former Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni has been disqualified from the state Legislative Meeting following his conviction within the homicide case of BJP chief Yogeshgouda Goudar, with the Meeting issuing an official notification on Saturday.

Kulkarni, who represented the Dharwad constituency, stands disqualified from April 15, 2026 – the date of his conviction – beneath Article 191(1)(e) of the Structure learn with Part 8 of the Illustration of the Folks Act, 1951. The disqualification will stay in pressure for six years after his launch, until a reliable courtroom stays the conviction.

The notification additionally confirmed that the Dharwad Meeting seat has fallen vacant consequently.

CONVICTION AND SENTENCING

Kulkarni was convicted on April 15 by a particular courtroom in Bengaluru in reference to the 2016 of Yogeshgouda Goudar, a BJP Zilla Panchayat member. The courtroom discovered him responsible beneath a number of IPC provisions, together with legal conspiracy and homicide.

Two days later, on April 17, the courtroom sentenced Kulkarni and 15 others to life imprisonment. He’s presently serving his sentence in jail.

2016 MURDER CASE

The case dates again to June 15, 2016, when Goudar was attacked and hacked to dying by employed assailants inside a health club in Dharwad’s Saptapur space. Kulkarni was a minister within the state authorities on the time.

Following sustained calls for from Goudar’s household and political leaders, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019 by the then BJP authorities.

In its supplementary chargesheet filed in 2020, the CBI named Kulkarni because the “important conspirator,” alleging that he seen Goudar as a rising political rival and orchestrated the by hiring contract killers.

LEGAL BATTLES AND BAIL HISTORY

Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI in 2020 and later granted bail by the Supreme Court docket in August 2021, with situations together with a restriction on coming into Dharwad district.

Nonetheless, in June 2025, the apex courtroom cancelled his bail citing allegations of witness tampering and makes an attempt to affect prosecution witnesses. His subsequent bail plea was rejected by the Excessive Court docket in January 2026.

The Supreme Court docket granted him bail once more on February 27, 2026, noting that examination of all witnesses within the trial had been accomplished.

ASSEMBLY NUMBERS AND BYPOLLS

The disqualification reduces the efficient energy of the 224-member Karnataka Meeting and necessitates a bypoll in Dharwad.

In the meantime, bypolls for 2 different vacant Meeting seats have been held on April 9, with outcomes scheduled to be introduced on Might 4.

– Ends

Inputs from Nagarjun Dwarkanath