BJP on 22 April expelled Eshwarappa for six years for violating party discipline and contesting Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate.
BJP leader KS Eshwarappa. (Screengrab)
Former Karnataka deputy chief minister KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday, 23 April, said he is not scared of expulsion from the BJP. He reiterated his resolve to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent with full vigour.
Eshwarappa said his expulsion was on the expected lines.
BJP on Monday expelled Eshwarappa for six years for violating party discipline and contesting Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, BJP state president BY Vijayendra Eshwarappa was expelled as he remained in the Lok Sabha poll fray despite efforts to dissuade him.
Vijayendra claimed he would not get people’s support in any of the Assembly segments under the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, where he is contesting as an independent.
“Ignoring the party’s directions, you are contesting as a rebel candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, causing embarrassment to the party. This is violation of party discipline,” state disciplinary committee president Lingaraj Patil said in the expulsion order.
It said, “So, you have been relieved from all the responsibilities and have been expelled from the party for six years, with immediate effect.”
Eshwarappa has remained steadfast on his decision to contest, spurning efforts by party leaders to pacify him.
The party’s decision to expel the former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council came on the last day for withdrawal of candidature for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka on 7 May.
Eshwarappa along with Yediyurappa and late HN Ananth Kumar is widely credited with building the BJP from the grassroots in Karnataka.
“I have not received any communication from the party regarding my expulsion. The fact is that I was wondering why I was not expelled yet,” Eshwarappa told reporters here on Tuesday, in an apparent sarcastic note.
He said, “I will not be scared of expulsion. My contesting is clear, winning from Shivamogga (Shimoga Lok Sabha seat) is clear and strengthing (the hands of) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also clear,” the 75-year-old said.
He added that he has been allotted the election symbol of “farmer with sugarcane”, which indicates blessings for him from the farmers of his constituency.
Eshwarappa was eyeing a ticket for his son KE Kantesh from the neighbouring Haveri constituency.
After the denial of the ticket, Eshwarappa rebelled against former chief minister and BJP’s Parliamentary Board member BS Yediyurappa accusing him of scuttling his son’s political prospects.
Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has got BJP’s Haveri ticket.
Targeting Yediyurppa and his two sons — BY Raghavendra who is contesting the election on a BJP ticket from Shivamogga and Vijayendra who is also the Shikaripura MLA, Eshwarappa said BJP has turned into a ‘Father-Son’ party in Karnataka with nepotism galore.
Claiming that the party in the state is in the clutches of its Parliamentary board member Yediyurappa and his family, with his one son as MP and another son Vijayendra as MLA and the state BJP president, Eshwarappa has repeatedly accused Yediyurappa of sidelining those who espoused the cause of Hindutva like Nalin Kumar Kateel, Pratap Simha, CT Ravi and DV Sadananda Gowda.
He has, however, stressed that he is not against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ahead of the Assembly polls last year, opting out of the contest, he had asked the party’s central leadership that he wished to retire from electoral politics and requested it to not consider fielding him from any constituency.
Modi had then dialled Eshwarappa and spoke to him over a video call and expressed appreciation for his move to retire from poll politics, as per the instructions from the party.
“Despite all efforts, him (Eshwarappa) remaining in the poll fray, is a matter left to him. As a result of this, BJP’s disciplinary committee decided and he has been expelled from the party for six years. He too has expressed his happiness,” Vijayendra told reporters.
On Eshwarappa’s claims that after he wins the polls, Yediyurappa and his sons will themselves take him back into the party, he said, “Things will be known during the counting of votes. From the first to last round, he won’t get votes in any of the assembly segments.”
“I won’t say much. People are not fools. Even a child will speak about Raganna’s (Raghavendra) developmental works in Shimoga. He (Eshwarappa) himself doesn’t know what his contribution to this district is. Yediyurappa and Raganna’s contribution and development under the Modi government are in the hearts of the people. So Raganna winning by a margin of over 2.5 to 3 lakh votes is certain,” he added.
The state’s political scene has completely changed, and the popularity of the Congress party which came to power by “fooling” the people has dwindled, Vijayendra said, adding people are upset about this “irresponsible” government’s administration and functioning.
“In the Lok Sabha polls, people are excited to support the BJP-JD(S) alliance across the state to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister for the third time, and the alliance will win all 28 seats in the state,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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