BJP central leadership calls truce between BSY and Eshwarappa

Eshwarappa told to disassociate from Rayanna brigade; Yeddyurappa asked to take a re-look at office-bearers’ list

Settling differences between its Karnataka unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa and senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa, the BJP central leadership on Friday directed the latter to stay away from Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, an apolitical forum being mentored by him, and has asked the former to take a re-look at the list of office-bearers appointed by him.

It is a message that the party central leadership has seriously taken the allegations of “unilateral” decision making by Mr. Yeddyurappa, made by party old-timers, and the open defiance of his leadership by Mr. Eshwarappa, and addressed both the issues, according to sources.

Further, a team of three or four senior leaders will be set up for holding consultations before arriving at a final decision on organisational matters, in a bid to help evolve consensus, it is learnt.

These decisions were taken by party national president Amit Shah at a three-hour meeting at his residence in New Delhi with Mr. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Eshwarappa and national organisational leaders. At the meeting, Mr. Shah is learnt to have asked Mr. Yeddyurappa to desist from taking any unilateral decisions.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who has been barred from attending the brigade’s activities, has not only been appointed in-charge of the party’s OBC Morcha, but also been permitted to organise conventions in districts through the morcha in the name of Sangolli Rayanna.

All the top leaders of the party, including Mr. Yeddyurappa, would take part in such conventions, which are presently being organised through the brigade.

“None of the BJP leaders will now participate in activities of any non-political forums, including Sangolli Rayanna Brigade,” P. Murlidhar Rao, party national general secretary, told reporters after the meeting. He said both Mr. Yeddyurappa and Mr. Eshwarappa would work together to strengthen the party organisation and to “free Karnataka from the Congress”.

While Mr. Yeddyurappa told the media that the BJP State OBC Morcha would pay respects to Sangolli Rayanna at all its programmes, Mr. Eshwarappa declared that all efforts would be made to make Mr. Yeddyurappa the next Chief Minister.

Ever since its contours were shaped in August 2016, the apolitical forum of Sangolli Rayanna Brigade had become a bone of contention between Mr. Eshwarappa and Mr. Yeddyurappa.

While Mr. Yeddyurappa was insisting that such activities of organising communities should be taken up under the party banner, Mr. Eshwarappa had maintained that organising them through an apolitical forum would help broaden the party’s base.

Mr. Eshwarappa had on Friday put up a show of strength by organising a massive convention of the brigade at Kudalasangama, to score a political point.