KS Eshwarappa was dismissed from the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday for a six-year period for opposing the party by running as an independent for the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency.
After the BJP refused to provide him a ticket, the former deputy chief minister made the decision to run as an independent in the Lok Sabha elections.
Last week, Eshwarappa knocked on people’s doors and spoke candidly about why voters should support him to “save” the BJP and its ideals.
The five-time Shivamogga MLA has made it clear that dynasty politics, or “pariwarvaad,” are what he opposes and that they are present in the Congress and JD(S) as well as the BJP.
In order to acquire positions of authority and influence for his sons, BY Raghavendra and BY Vijayendra, he claimed that Yediyurappa, the former chief minister of Karnataka and member of the BJP’s parliamentary board.
“I say the BJP should either remove Vijayendra as state BJP president or cancel the ticket given to Raghavendra for the Shimoga LS seat. If you do not do this, the BJP has no right to criticise the Congress and call it a party of dynasts,” Eshwarappa had said.
“I believe the BJP need to either revoke Vijayendra’s election as state BJP president or revoke Raghavendra’s ticket for the Shimoga local assembly seat. Eshwarappa had stated, “If you do not do this, the BJP has no right to criticize the Congress and call it a party of dynasts.”
Disappointed with his treatment compared to that of another BJP leader, Jagdish Shettar, Eshwarappa declared he would ask the BJP high command to explain the unfair treatment he had received.
Eshwarappa had stated earlier in the month that he was contacted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who requested that he rescind his candidacy from the Shivamogga seat, but he was adamant about his intention to run.
The son of party stalwart Yediyurappa, BY Raghavendra, is an MP running for the Shivamogga seat in the BJP.
Eshwarappa informed Shah over the phone that the Home Minister had instructed him to withdraw his nomination papers and not run for office. The 75-year-old renegade leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party had stated that all of the requests would be met in the upcoming days.