Eshwarappa dares pro-Sriramulu legislators to quit

Asks them not to betray people who had voted for the saffron party

Addressing a meeting of the party workers after inaugurating the new office of the district unit BJP in the city on Wednesday, he said: “The Bellary Rural bypoll is a question of prestige for the party. Hospet MLA Anand Singh and Siruguppa MLA Somalingappa have said they will remain with the party. We know when to expel those MPs, MLAs and members of local bodies who are supporting Sriramulu,” Eshwarappa added.

“The people have voted for the BJP, not you. You should not betray them,” he told the supporters of the former minister. The State BJP chief claimed that the people were with the BJP and called upon the party workers to go on a door-to-door campaign to apprise the people of the achievements of the party’s government in the State.

Eshwarappa admitted that they had erred in allowing one person (Sriramulu) to have a vice-like grip on the party. “Have not those who have rebelled now benefited from the party.


Three from the district had been accommodated in the ministry, the highest from any one district. We benefited from them and returned their favour,” he said. While the S M Krishna government made more than 800 denotifications, that led by Kumaraswamy made 220 denotifications.

But Yeddyurappa, who made 100-odd denotifications, was sent to jail, Eshwarappa said.
He expressed confidence that Yeddyurappa would prove his innocence. He threw the gauntlet at the Opposition saying: ”It’s not enough to send one Yeddyurappa to jail. Thousands of Yeddyurappas are ready.”

He said Kumaraswamy must answer why his party, the JD(S), did not field a candidate for the bypoll. Minister Varthur Prakash, MP P C Mohan and other leaders were present.