<p>Former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa’s decision to retire from electoral politics marks the end of a long innings of one more first-generation BJP leader in Karnataka.</p>.<p>Four-time chief minister B S Yediyurappa has already announced his retirement.</p>.<p>Yediyurappa and Eshwarappa join the ranks of BJP stalwarts D H Shankaramurthy and Ramachandra Gowda, who built the party in the state and have now moved into oblivion. The late V S Acharya was also part of this team. </p>.<p>The BJP’s growth story in Karnataka that starts from Shivamogga is incomplete without Eshwarappa.</p>.<p>A BCom graduate from Acharya Tulsi National College of Commerce, Eshwarappa teamed up with Yediyurappa and Shankaramurthy - the triumvirate of Shivamogga politics - to start a Torino soft drinks factory in Shivamogga back in the 1980s, while they laid the bricks and mortar to build the BJP.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/senior-karnataka-bjp-leader-k-s-eshwarappa-retires-from-electoral-politics-1208551.html" target="_blank">Senior Karnataka BJP leader K S Eshwarappa retires from electoral politics</a></strong></p>.<p>Eshwarappa’s first electoral win came from Shivamogga in 1989, when he defeated the then health minister K H Srinivas.</p>.<p>In the next election in 1994, the BJP increased its tally from four seats to 40. Eshwarappa, then the state BJP president, was instrumental in the saffron surge.</p>.<p>The 5-time MLA served as a minister every time the BJP was in power - during the coalition with JD(S) in 2006, between 2008 and 2013 and from 2019 till 2022. </p>.<p>Eshwarappa has been the BJP’s Kuruba face, representing a prominent backward community that Congress’ Siddaramaiah also belongs to. As a native BJP leader with roots in the RSS, Eshwarappa is a vociferous Hindutva campaigner.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><span class="bold">Retirement hailed</span></p>.<p>Several BJP leaders hailed Eshwarappa’s decision to retire from electoral politics. </p>.<p>“I congratulate Eshwarappa on making way for youngsters. Such a sacrificial attitude is seen only in the BJP,” the party’s national general secretary C T Ravi said. </p>.<p>BJP Yuva Morcha national president Tejasvi Surya said Eshwarappa’s decision must be emulated. Surya said Eshwarappa, Yediyurappa and H N Ananthkumar built the BJP in Karnataka.</p>.<p>“His decision to make way for newcomers is what makes BJP the party with a difference,” he said. Eshwarappa is the fourth BJP lawmaker to announce retirement ahead of the May 10 polls after Yediyurappa, Haladi Srinivas Shetty and S A Ravindranath. </p>
<p>Former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa’s decision to retire from electoral politics marks the end of a long innings of one more first-generation BJP leader in Karnataka.</p>.<p>Four-time chief minister B S Yediyurappa has already announced his retirement.</p>.<p>Yediyurappa and Eshwarappa join the ranks of BJP stalwarts D H Shankaramurthy and Ramachandra Gowda, who built the party in the state and have now moved into oblivion. The late V S Acharya was also part of this team. </p>.<p>The BJP’s growth story in Karnataka that starts from Shivamogga is incomplete without Eshwarappa.</p>.<p>A BCom graduate from Acharya Tulsi National College of Commerce, Eshwarappa teamed up with Yediyurappa and Shankaramurthy - the triumvirate of Shivamogga politics - to start a Torino soft drinks factory in Shivamogga back in the 1980s, while they laid the bricks and mortar to build the BJP.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/senior-karnataka-bjp-leader-k-s-eshwarappa-retires-from-electoral-politics-1208551.html" target="_blank">Senior Karnataka BJP leader K S Eshwarappa retires from electoral politics</a></strong></p>.<p>Eshwarappa’s first electoral win came from Shivamogga in 1989, when he defeated the then health minister K H Srinivas.</p>.<p>In the next election in 1994, the BJP increased its tally from four seats to 40. Eshwarappa, then the state BJP president, was instrumental in the saffron surge.</p>.<p>The 5-time MLA served as a minister every time the BJP was in power - during the coalition with JD(S) in 2006, between 2008 and 2013 and from 2019 till 2022. </p>.<p>Eshwarappa has been the BJP’s Kuruba face, representing a prominent backward community that Congress’ Siddaramaiah also belongs to. As a native BJP leader with roots in the RSS, Eshwarappa is a vociferous Hindutva campaigner.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><span class="bold">Retirement hailed</span></p>.<p>Several BJP leaders hailed Eshwarappa’s decision to retire from electoral politics. </p>.<p>“I congratulate Eshwarappa on making way for youngsters. Such a sacrificial attitude is seen only in the BJP,” the party’s national general secretary C T Ravi said. </p>.<p>BJP Yuva Morcha national president Tejasvi Surya said Eshwarappa’s decision must be emulated. Surya said Eshwarappa, Yediyurappa and H N Ananthkumar built the BJP in Karnataka.</p>.<p>“His decision to make way for newcomers is what makes BJP the party with a difference,” he said. Eshwarappa is the fourth BJP lawmaker to announce retirement ahead of the May 10 polls after Yediyurappa, Haladi Srinivas Shetty and S A Ravindranath. </p>
