The BJP, which released the list of candidates for 20 Lok Sabha seats of total 28 in Karnataka on Thursday, is watching the outcome of a meeting convened by supporters of its OBC face and former Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa in Shivamogga on Friday, as the meeting may resolve to field him as an Independent against veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa’s son for Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat.
Mr. Eshwarappa, who is upset over his son K.E. Kanthesh not getting ticket from Haveri seat, to reciprocate his gesture of obeying the party’s instructions against contesting the previous Assembly elections, on Thursday sharpened his attack on party parliamentary board member Mr. Yediyurappa by squarely blaming him for his son and a few other leaders missing out on party ticket this time.
He accused Mr. Yediyurappa of deceiving him and his son after promising ticket from Haveri. “My son been touring the constituency nearly for an year believing Mr. Yediyurappa,” he said.
Mr. Eshwarappa told mediapersons in Bengaluru on Thursday, “My supporters and well-wishers in the party have been demanding that I contest as an Independent from Shivamogga to represent the voice of workers who are pained by the attitude of one family establishing a stranglehold on the affairs of the BJP State unit. It is not about my son not getting ticket, but it is a fight to protect the interests of the party.”
Mr. Eshwarappa’s followers have organised the meeting at Banjara Bhavana in Shivamogga under the banner of “Rashtra Bhaktara Balaga” (Association of patriots). The invitation for the meeting carries pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Eshwarappa. The programme has been titled as “Abhipraya Sangrahana Sabhe” (a meeting to collect opinion).
This comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Shivamogga on March 18 to address a public convention.
Though Mr. Yediyurappa announced to the media that the party high command was thinking of providing MLC seat to Mr. Kanthesh, Mr. Eshwarappa was in no mood to accept this. “Mr. Yediyurappa had said long ago that I would be reinducted into the Ministry if I get clean chit (with respect to suicide of a contractor). But it did not happen though I got clean chit. How do I trust him now?” he asked.
He accused Mr. Yediyurappa of being partisan and fighting to shift Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje from Udupi-Chikkamgaluru seat, where there was a resistance to her candidature, to Bengaluru North, while not keeping his promise on Mr. Kanthesh.
‘Final call was taken by high command’
BJP State president and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra issued a veiled response to veteran leader K.S. Eshwarappa. He said: “It is not one person who finalised the names of candidates. The party Central unit has taken the final call.” He expressed confidence that it would be possible to pacify Mr. Eshwarappa and sought to downplay speculations that the party may face a rebellion from disappointed ticket aspirants.
