The feud in the State unit of BJP has again reached New Delhi, with each side -- one led by State unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa and the other by leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa -- complaining against the other on Friday demanding intervention.
This comes barely three months after BJP president Amit Shah brokered peace between the two over the formation of Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, with which Mr. Eshwarappa is associated.
Mr. Yeddyurappa will be in New Delhi on Saturday and will share stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Basava Jayanti programme and is expected to raise the issue of “indiscipline” in the party. However, it is unlikely that he would meet Mr. Shah. Leaders on the side of Mr. Yeddyurappa said they had submitted an elaborate report on the Friday’s convention of the disgruntled leaders with video clip of the speech of Mr. Eshwarappa, seeking action. Mr. Yeddyurappa even said the proposal to remove him from the Council post would be discussed with the MLCs.
However, Mr. Eshwarappa told The Hindu that threats of disciplinary action or even efforts to remove him from Council post would not perturb him from efforts to “save the party.” He said Mr. Yeddyurappa should stop speaking in the language of intimidation and instead listen to leaders who were upset at his style of functioning.
M.B. Bhanuprakash, MLC and who is from Shivamogga and a close associate of Mr. Eshwarappa, said: “We have sought an appointment with the party central leadership and will make the trip to Delhi when we are called.”
Meanwhile, Ayanur Manjunath, former MP, has expressed displeasure against Mr. Eshwarappa for Mr. Yeddyurappa.
Mr. Eshwarappa should apologise for defaming Mr. Yeddyurappa and if doesn’t do so, protests would be staged against him, Mr. Manjunath said at a press conference in Shivamogga.
Santosh's role in limelight
The alleged role of RSS functionary B.L. Santosh in the State BJP feud, with State president B.S. Yeddyurappa taking his name for the first time, has now brought a man who mostly worked behind the scenes to the limelight.
Mr. Santosh, engineer-turned-full time RSS pracharak from Udupi, made a mark when he was State general secretary (Organisation) in the State, when Mr. Yeddyurappa was Chief Minister. He has now been elevated as national joint general secretary (Organisation). Mr. Yeddyurappa’s supporters have alleged that Mr. Santosh was behind the rebellion with an ambition to become the Chief Minister, post 2018.
Mr. Santosh, however, declined to comment on the issue. “I am an organisation man and the organisation will respond on behalf of me,” he told The Hindu. K.S. Eshwarappa too denied any “direct or indirect” involvement of Mr. Santosh in the Bengaluru convention and demanded an apology from Mr. Yeddyurappa for “defaming” him.
