The shadow boxing between Bharatiya Janata Party State president B.S. Yeddyurappa and senior leader K.S. Eshwarappa continued for the third consecutive day on Thursday, putting the party cadre into an embarrassing situation.
Mr. Eshwarappa, who had not been invited for a meeting of BJP MLCs convened by Mr. Yeddyurappa at the party’s State headquarters here on Thursday evening to discuss Legislative Council elections , got the invite in the form of a WhatsApp message only after the electronic media played up his exclusion.
Mr. Eshwarappa did not attend the meeting as he had already reached his home town of Shivamogga, and he stuck to his schedule there.
The soured relationship between Mr. Eshwarappa and Mr. Yeddyurappa is getting reflected in the public for the last three days. Trouble started with Mr. Eshwarappa reportedly declaring in Kalaburagi on Tuesday that the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, being mentored by him to organise backward classes and Dalits, would not bother about making Mr. Yeddyurappa the next Chief Minister.
Soon, the BJP suspended Mr. Eshwarappa’s supporter and former Bengaluru Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy, who is also general secretary of the brigade.
On Wednesday, Mr. Eshwarappa hit back by participating in a programme organised by the brigade in Bengaluru and also declared that he would not desist from attending the brigade’s events though Mr. Yeddyurappa had been publicly suggesting that he should stop associating himself with the organisation.
The party’s central leadership has decided to intervene and resolve the issue sometime after January 20.
