<p>Supporters of former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa have threatened to revive the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade if their leader is denied a BJP ticket to contest the Assembly polls from his home constituency of Shivamogga city.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Eshwarappa had associated himself with the Brigade, a forum for the welfare of OBCs and Dalit, but later distanced himself following the intervention of BJP national president Amit Shah. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa had taken exception to Eshwarappa associating himself with the Brigade.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It is said Yeddyurappa held a meeting at his residence in Shivamogga, seeking opinion from local leaders on whether Eshwarappa should be given a ticket to contest the polls as he had fared badly in the 2013 polls. It is said Yeddyurappa is keen to give the ticket to his close aide Rudregowda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A delegation of BJP leaders led by Bilaki Krishnamurthy met Yeddyurappa at his residence on Wednesday night and urged him to issue ticket to Rudregowda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Krishnamurthy reportedly said Eshwarappa would lose the deposit if he contests the election. So, the party must issue ticket to Rudregowda, who had lost the previous polls on a KJP ticket by a narrow margin.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reacting to it, Eshwarappa said, "Krishnamurthy's statement has hurt me a lot. It is an insult to the party organisation. Thousands of party workers called me and expressed their disappointment over the development."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Eshwarappa is learnt to have told his supporters to write to Shah about the development. In a letter to Shah, the supporters are learnt to have said that Eshwarappa is a senior leader of the party and a deserving candidate. He has taken on the Congress government both inside and outside the legislature. They have said that they will have revive the Brigade if Eshwarappa was denied a ticket, sources said.</p>
<p>Supporters of former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa have threatened to revive the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade if their leader is denied a BJP ticket to contest the Assembly polls from his home constituency of Shivamogga city.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Eshwarappa had associated himself with the Brigade, a forum for the welfare of OBCs and Dalit, but later distanced himself following the intervention of BJP national president Amit Shah. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa had taken exception to Eshwarappa associating himself with the Brigade.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It is said Yeddyurappa held a meeting at his residence in Shivamogga, seeking opinion from local leaders on whether Eshwarappa should be given a ticket to contest the polls as he had fared badly in the 2013 polls. It is said Yeddyurappa is keen to give the ticket to his close aide Rudregowda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A delegation of BJP leaders led by Bilaki Krishnamurthy met Yeddyurappa at his residence on Wednesday night and urged him to issue ticket to Rudregowda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Krishnamurthy reportedly said Eshwarappa would lose the deposit if he contests the election. So, the party must issue ticket to Rudregowda, who had lost the previous polls on a KJP ticket by a narrow margin.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reacting to it, Eshwarappa said, "Krishnamurthy's statement has hurt me a lot. It is an insult to the party organisation. Thousands of party workers called me and expressed their disappointment over the development."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Eshwarappa is learnt to have told his supporters to write to Shah about the development. In a letter to Shah, the supporters are learnt to have said that Eshwarappa is a senior leader of the party and a deserving candidate. He has taken on the Congress government both inside and outside the legislature. They have said that they will have revive the Brigade if Eshwarappa was denied a ticket, sources said.</p>
