All is not well in Karnataka BJP which is hoping to come to power in 2018 by de-feating the ruling Congress. The infighting between lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa and the champion of backward classes KS Eshwarappa has reached a flash point and the party high command is expected to intervene to douse the fire.
Insiders feel the fight is between the dominant community and the backward classes within the party, led by BS Yeddyurappa and KS Eshwarappa respectively. Both are RSS Swyamsevaks and both hail from Shivamoga the battle field of bigwigs.
The ongoing tussle between the BJP State president Yeddyurappa and senior leader Eshwarappa over the latter’s association with Sangolli Rayanna Brigade (SRB) is the flash point of the conflict. Sangolli Rayanna Brigade is the creation of Eshwarappa. It is an organisation of backward classes to take on Yeddyurappa who according to him is acting like a dictator. He was miffed at the decision of Yeddyurappa not including his followers in many committees in the re- organisation of the party.
A BJP source confirmed that Yeddyurappa has asked the central leadership to either sack Eshwarappa or rein him in. Taking serious note of Eshwarappa’s participation at an SRB rally held in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Yeddyurappa on Thursday sent a report to party national president Amit Shah seeking disciplinary action.
“Yeddyurappa has sent a CD with visual and newspaper clips of Eshwarappa’s statements made in the recent past defending his participation in SRB rallies, disobeying the instructions of party national general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka Muralidhara Rao to stay away from SRB” a senior party leader confirmed.
Refusing to comment on Eshwarappa’s defiance, Yeddyurappa said, “Our national leaders are watching the developments closely. I have kept them posted about the developments. They will take appropriate action at appropriate time.”
In another development Yeddyurappa has also initiated moves to remove Eshwarappa from the post of the leader of the Opposition in legislative Council. He had suddenly convened a meeting of party MlCs on Thursday evening.
Eshwarappa, who was not invited for the meeting, received message about the meeting from party office only after the moves to keep him out of the meeting threatened to stir a new controversy. However, Eshwarappa, who was on a tour in Shivamogga, did not attend the meeting. The BJP also sacked Eshwarappa loyalist and former mayor of Bengaluru Venkatesh Murthy from the party for organising an SRB rally in Bengaluru.
Recently Eshwarappa had openly said that he would not support Yeddyurappa as the Chief Minister. “Initially, we had a goal of making Yeddyurappa the CM. But we have changed our stance after Yeddyurappa himself said he doesn’t need the support of any brigade,” he had said. The rift between the two has been widening ever since they parted ways over selection of office-bearers of State and district-level units.
The elders in the party find this a clash between backward classes and dominant communities lead by Yeddyurappa. They also feel it would affect the party’s prospect in the ensuing 2018 Assembly polls which is crucial for the party to conquer the south. The leaders however feel the need for the party high command’s intervention to douse the fire.
There is also a report about a faction of RSS leaders supporting Eshwarappa to keep a tab on Yeddyurappa who is going uncontrolled.
However despite the escalating conflict with BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa, former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa made it clear that he would not leave the party.
Eshwarappa reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the BJP, a day after reports surfaced of him being in talks with former PM HD Deve Gowda to join the JD(S). "I am not joining any other party. I will remain with the BJP forever," Eshwarappa said.