The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Karnataka): Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa has announced his decision to run as an independent candidate from Shivamogga, defying the BJP’s official nomination. This declaration follows what Eshwarappa describes as failed attempts to resolve party disputes over ticket distribution with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
Eshwarappa, a veteran leader from the Kuruba community, has openly criticized the influence of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his sons within the state BJP. He claims that this influence represents a misdirection of the party’s values and an embrace of dynasty politics, which he says contradicts the party’s stance against such practices in other contexts.
In an interview with Malayala Manorama, Eshwarappa expressed his frustrations with the party’s decision-making process, suggesting that the central committee’s reliance on Yediyurappa has overlooked other potential leaders from different communities. He recounted a canceled meeting with Amit Shah, which he interpreted as an indirect endorsement of his independent candidacy.
Eshwarappa also highlighted his roots in the RSS and his historical alignment with the party’s ideology, contrasting his longstanding commitment to the party with what he perceives as Yediyurappa’s opportunistic politics. He lamented the sidelining of other capable leaders and vowed to challenge the prevailing political order by contesting against the party’s official candidate, B.Y. Raghavendra, whom he believes embodies the nepotistic tendencies he seeks to combat.
The former deputy CM is buoyed by what he claims is broad, if not entirely public, support from Hindutva leaders and activists in Shivamogga and surrounding areas. He intends to use this election as a platform to restore ideological purity and challenge the dominance of dynasty politics within the Karnataka BJP.