Amidst deepening rift in the BJP following State president B.S. Yeddyurappa’s objection to senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa mentoring Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, the latter on Tuesday maintained that party national president Amit Shah had assured him of visiting Bengaluru to resolve the issue.
“I met Mr. Shah in New Delhi last month and appraised him of the developments related to the brigade, including its intentions of organising the backward classes and Dalits, and how it could impact the party positively,” Mr. Eshwarappa told The Hindu .
To hold consultations
“I don’t know when exactly Mr. Shah will visit the State, as elections to several State Assemblies have been declared. But, he is definitely coming,” Mr. Eshwarappa said. According to him, Mr. Shah may hold consultations with various leaders of the party. besides the Sangh Parivar veterans before resolving the issue.
Maintaining that his active participation in the Brigade activities would help Mr. Yeddyurappa become the Chief Minister again, Mr. Eshwarappa remarked: “I really don’t know why he (Mr. Yeddyurappa) is opposing the brigade.”
He pointed out that there were constituencies with a sizeable population of backward classes and Dalits where the BJP had lost by a few 1,000 votes in the 2013 Assembly polls. “These are the constituencies where the party is bound to benefit in future,” he said.
Mega convention
Mr. Eshwarappa declared that he would go ahead with the mega convention of the brigade to be held in Kudalasangama of Bagalkot district on January 26, in which several religious heads from the backward classes are expected to participate.
He described as “ridiculous” the reports in a section of the press that he was hobnobbing with the JD(S).
Meanwhile, the Sangh Parivar desisted from inviting BJP leaders, including Mr. Yeddyurappa and Mr. Eshwarappa, for its organisational meeting held in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
‘Ready to attend reconciliation meeting’
Mr. Yeddyurappa is said to be making efforts to reconcile with Mr. Eshwarappa, who has turned out to be the face of the old guards who are upset over some organisational decisions, including appointment of office-bearers.
While one such effort to organise a meeting in the last week of December 2016 did not materialise, Mr. Yeddyurappa is reportedly trying to hold another one. Responding to these reports, Mr. Eshwarappa made it clear on Tuesday that he would attend any meeting convened by Mr. Yeddyurappa.
