K.S. Eshwarappa says revolt by him and Raghupathi Bhat, a precursor to cleansing of casteist and dynasty politics from BJP

Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K.S. Eshwarappa on Tuesday, May 28, said his contest as an Independent candidate in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency and K. Raghupathi Bhat’s contest as an Independent candidate in the Legislative Council elections will lead to cleansing of dynasty politics from the saffron party.

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Speaking to reporters here in support of Mr. Bhat’s candidature from the South West Graduates’ Constituency, Mr. Eshwarappa said the ordinary party worker and the Swayamsevak were fed up with the casteist and dynasty politics being practised by BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa and his family. They were aghast that the family was treating the party as their personal fiefdom.

He urged all honest BJP workers and leaders to support the candidature of Mr. Bhat.

Expelled BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa said the BJP has two sets of principles — nationalism and Hindutva — at the Centre, and casteism and dynasty politics in Karnataka, on May 28, in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY

On different paths

Mr. Eshwarappa said while the party central leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J.P. Nadda, were building the party on Hindutva and nationalism, Karnataka BJP had eschewed all those principles for casteism. Even the central leadership was made to believe that there was no other leader in Karnataka to lead the BJP other than Mr. Yediyurappa and his family, he said with regret.

When the central leadership was attempting to end the dynasty politics of the Congress, it was an irony that the same was being patronised in Karnataka, the former Minister said.

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Mr. Eshwarappa said the Karnataka BJP’s strength increased from just two seats in the Legislative Assembly to 108 not just because of Mr. Yediyurappa, but because of the collective leadership of many, including the late V.S. Acharya, the late Ananth Kumar, Karamballi Sanjeev Shetty, B.B. Shivappa, himself and others. The same party’s strength declined to 66 in the 2023 polls because of the caste politics of the family, he alleged.

Bhat cheated on

Mr. Eshwarappa alleged that Mr. Raghupathi Bhat was cheated on by the party leadership, which had asked him to enroll voters for the South West Graduates’ constituency promising him the ticket. It had unceremoniously denied him the MLA ticket from Udupi earlier. He was also made to work for the BJP candidate in Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency for 43 days.

Sidelining a hardcore party worker like Mr. Bhat, the Yediyurappa family had chosen a canddiate who was a new entrant to the BJP just to bolster the Sadara Lingayat support for B.Y. Vijayendra in Shikaripura Assembly constituency, where he got just 10,000 vote lead in the 2023 elections, he said.