Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa said on Wednesday that Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Gadkari had directed him to continue as president of the State unit and serve as Deputy Chief Minister.
Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Eshwarappa said he, along with MPs Nalin Kumar Kateel and Prahlad Joshi, had met Mr. Gadkari in New Delhi on October 15. “It was at this meeting that Mr. Gadkari directed me to continue in both the posts. Mr. Gadkari wants the present arrangement to continue,” he said.
Mr. Eshwarappa said that all steps would be taken to galvanise the party organisation in the State. The central leadership of the BJP had assured full cooperation to the State unit in this regard. “The central leadership has asked me to put in maximum effort to see that our party emerges victorious in the next Assembly elections,” he said.
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Asked if he would be president only till the Assembly elections, Mr. Eshwarappa said: “The president of the State unit is not supreme in the BJP. Someone has to occupy that post. It has been entrusted to me.”
On whether the State unit of the BJP would take action against the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who had reportedly said that there was no connection between him and the BJP, Mr. Eshwarappa said: “I will not react to any matter connected to Mr. Yeddyurappa. We will abide by whatever decision our central leaders take on him.” On the expelled BJP leader V. Dhananjay Kumar’s statement asking why the party was not taking action against Mr. Yeddyurappa when he was continuously speaking against the BJP, Mr. Eshwarappa said: “Mr. Kumar has been expelled. He can say whatever he wants. There are no relations between him and us now.”