Congress MLA and former Karnataka minister Vinay Kulkarni has been disqualified from the state Legislative Assembly following his conviction in the murder case of BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar, with the Assembly issuing an official notification on Saturday.
Kulkarni, who represented the Dharwad constituency, stands disqualified from April 15, 2026 – the date of his conviction – under Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The disqualification will remain in force for six years after his release, unless a competent court stays the conviction.
The notification also confirmed that the Dharwad Assembly seat has fallen vacant as a result.
CONVICTION AND SENTENCING
Kulkarni was convicted on April 15 by a special court in Bengaluru in connection with the 2016 of Yogeshgouda Goudar, a BJP Zilla Panchayat member. The court found him guilty under multiple IPC provisions, including criminal conspiracy and murder.
Two days later, on April 17, the court sentenced Kulkarni and 15 others to life imprisonment. He is currently serving his sentence in prison.
2016 MURDER CASE
The case dates back to June 15, 2016, when Goudar was attacked and hacked to death by hired assailants inside a gym in Dharwad’s Saptapur area. Kulkarni was a minister in the state government at the time.
Following sustained demands from Goudar’s family and political leaders, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019 by the then BJP government.
In its supplementary chargesheet filed in 2020, the CBI named Kulkarni as the “main conspirator,” alleging that he viewed 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 in August 2021, with conditions including a restriction on entering Dharwad district.
However, in June 2025, the apex court cancelled his bail citing allegations of witness tampering and attempts to influence prosecution witnesses. His subsequent bail plea was rejected by the High Court in January 2026.
The Supreme Court granted him bail again on February 27, 2026, noting that examination of all witnesses in the trial had been completed.
ASSEMBLY NUMBERS AND BYPOLLS
The disqualification reduces the effective strength of the 224-member Karnataka Assembly and necessitates a bypoll in Dharwad.
Meanwhile, bypolls for two other vacant Assembly seats were held on April 9, with results scheduled to be announced on May 4.
– Ends
Inputs from Nagarjun Dwarkanath
Published By:
Priyanka Kumari
Published On:
May 3, 2026 10:27 IST
