Eshwarappa may skip BJP State executive meet

But plans to attend ‘brigade’ workshop

The rift within the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party seems to be only deepening with a defiant K.S. Eshwarappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, likely to skip the State BJP executive meeting scheduled on May 6 and 7 in Mysuru. However, his close associates confirmed that he will attend a one-day workshop organised by the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade in Raichur on Monday.

An associate of Mr. Eshwarappa told The Hindu that the senior leader was pained by the recent developments in the party and he was likely to skip the executive meet. Sources said that the Eshwarappa-led rebel faction was upset with the functioning of the State BJP in-charge P. Muralidhar Rao, alleging that he was partisan towards B.S. Yeddyurappa, State BJP president.

Sources said Mr. Eshwarappa will hold a meeting with his supporters on Friday in Bengaluru to take a final call on the issue. He is now holed up at his Shivamogga residence and is refusing to meet anybody.

This comes even as Mr. Yeddyurappa has refused several appeals to postpone the State executive meet till the feud is resolved. Sources close to Mr. Yeddyurappa said that he felt any rescheduling would send out a message to party workers that there was a crisis.

Mr. Eshwarappa had attended the last State executive meet held in Kalaburagi in January 2017, when a similar feud over Sangolli Rayanna Brigade was brewing. After the meet, BJP president Amit Shah had brokered peace between the leaders. Mr. Eshwarappa, who had distanced himself from the brigade’s activities since then, will however attend a workshop organised by the brigade on Monday.

Contrary to the recent warning by Mr. Rao, that “party central leadership is clear there can be no parallel forum by any name, brigade or otherwise”, Mr. Eshwarappa and his associates have claimed that Mr. Amit Shah never stopped him [Mr. Eshwarappa] from participating in brigade programmes.

In an attempt to avoid a backlash, the workshop at Raichur will discuss constitutional status for the National Commission for Backward Classes, a Bill passed in the Lok Sabha but not in the Rajya Sabha. “Narendra Modi spoke of the Bill and its importance in the recent BJP national executive meet as well, and the workshop aims to spread awareness on the subject,” A source said , adding that the leader was only participating in the workshop as an invitee resource person and not as its organiser.