JOIN USEshwarappa camp complains to central leaders against BSY again
Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa and a few of his supporters have again approached the party’s central leaders with their grouse against state party president B S Yeddyurappa.
On Saturday in Bengaluru, Eshwarappa and others are learnt to have met party national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao.
According to sources in the party, Eshwarappa, accompanied by M B Bhanuprakash, M B Nandeesh, Sogadu Shivanna, Somanna Bevinamarad, A H Shivayogi Swami, S A Ravindranath and others met Rao, who is in charge of the state, at the BJP office in Malleswaram as early as 6.45 am. The discussion lasted for one hour. In all, as many as 18 BJP rebels who have openly questioned Yeddyurappa’s style of functioning and also his choice of candidates for the post of office bearers and district presidents, attended the meeting.
The rebels pointed out that they had stated at a convention held in Palace Grounds in Bengaluru last month that they will take out a mammoth rally in Bengaluru on Saturday (May 20) if their demand for revising the list of office bearers and district presidents was not met by that day. However, there was little progress, they said.
The rebels said a meeting of a panel as suggested by national president Amit Shah comprising Eshwarappa, Yeddyurappa and RSS functionaries deputed to the BJP — B L Santhosh and Arun Kumar — to sort out all internal differences, had not been convened.
Besides, there was too much interference in the party affairs by a state general secretary. However, they did not mention the name. The rebels at other forums have stated that former minister Shobha Karandlaje was meddling too much in party affairs.
Rao is said to have told the delegation that he will look into all issues, take them up with the central leadership and ensure they are solved. At the same time, they should not make any public statements and give bytes to the media on the internal affairs of the party, the sources said. Rao also told them that no one should associate with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade.
Eshwarappa and his supporters are said to have met RSS functionaries at Chamarajpet later in the day and held discussions with them.
The rift between Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa camps has been on for several months now and was even evident at the BJP state executive meeting in Mysuru recently.
The two leaders had even tried to put up a show of unity at the first day of the Janasamparka Abhiyan tour on Thursday which began from Tumakuru but parted ways the next day. Yeddyurappa would continue with his drought tour from Bagalkot from Monday.