In a curious development, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had invited BJP rebel leader K.S. Eshwarappa to Delhi for consultations, called off the conciliatory meeting after the latter arrived in the national capital on Wednesday night.
This has provided a new twist to the ongoing episode of rebellion in the Karnataka unit of the BJP as Mr. Eshwarappa termed the cancellation of the meeting by Mr. Shah as an indication from the BJP high command that he should go ahead with his decision to take on veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Raghavendra in the Lok Sabha election from Shivamogga.
“I received a call from Mr. Shah on Tuesday morning when he arrived in Bengaluru during which he invited me to Delhi to discuss in person the reasons for my rebellion. But after coming to Delhi, I got a call from his office stating that he is not available to meet me,” Mr. Eshwarappa told mediapersons in Delhi.
