Pramod Muthalik was welcomed into the party by Prahalad Joshi, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa
Pramod Muthalik, controversial chief of right wing outfit Sri Ram Sene, has joined the BJP. Mr Muthalik, who was linked to the attack on women at a pub in Mangalore in 2009, signed up with the BJP at a function in Hubli in Karnataka today - the event was attended by state leaders, including the state party president, Prahlad Joshi.
Mr Muthalik told reporters that he joined the BJP to ensure that Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister.
Mr Muthalik had courted a huge controversy in 2009 after members of his Sri Ram Sene carried out an attack on a pub in Mangalore during which young women were dragged out. He had also carried out a campaign against the celebration of Valentine's Day.
The BJP had received criticism from reabsorbing former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who had corruption charges against him. And the recent re-induction of B Sriramulu, a close associate of jailed mining baron Janardhan Reddy, had senior leader Sushma Swaraj seeing red.
With the inclusion of Mr Muthalik in the BJP's fold, online reactions came in thick and fast.
"Pramod Muthalik's induction into BJP manifests the domination of RSS-Narendra Modi on what's left of a disintegrating BJP; old & fascist, (sic)" tweeted Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha.
"Modi wants to become PM at any cost and he can make any compromise for that . Muthalik joining proves that.#muthalikBJP, (sic)" tweeted Aam Aadmi Party's Ashutosh.
With this surprising move, the BJP leadership does have many questions to answer.
Even the BJP's own Manohar Parrikar said Mr Muthalik should not be allowed to join the party.
"They shouldn't do it, his membership should be cancelled. I have asked central leadership that he should not be allowed to join, and his membership should be cancelled," said Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The name of the pub in which the young women were attacked in Mangalore was called 'Amnesia.' Perhaps the BJP hopes that there has been a collective memory loss among the many people who condemned the self-appointed moral police.