Bengaluru: Sitting and former legislators and parliamentarians stepped up pressure on the BJP central leadership to initiate disciplinary action against opposition leader in the legislative council, K.S. Eshwarappa.
Sources in the party said that in a letter to party national president, Amit Shah, at least 11 MPs, over 50 sitting and former MLAs urged the former to intervene in the party’s state affairs immediately to stop what they described as damage caused to the party.
Citing various statements made by Mr Eshwarappa against the party and state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa, these legislators and MPs reportedly said Mr Eshwarappa had openly expressed his reservation on whether BJP would come back to power. He had also said that the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade would not work for the BJP.
Referring to these statements, the legislators charged that Mr Eshwarappa was working against the party's interests. "If the central leadership fails to intervene now, the party may lose the chance to come back to power in Karnataka," the MPs said in the statement.
Meanwhile, Mr Eshwarappa has taken on BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa again criticising him for speaking repeatedly against the newly formed Sangolli Rayanna Brigade and said, “BSY's recent statement that he would not accept Sangolli Rayanna Brigade until he is alive, was no doubt issued in haste. When he launched Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) in the past, he had issued a similar hasty statement that he would not rejoin BJP until he is alive.''
The former Deputy CM warned Yeddyurappa not to create confusion among the party cadre needlessly by issuing statements in a hurry and said, what Yeddyurappa did in the past was being repeated by him today.
The Brigade, an apolitical organisation was launched only after bringing it to the notice of BJP National President Amit Shah. The outfit should not be linked to any party or organisation, Mr Eshwarappa said. He wondered why Yeddyurappa was against the Brigade ever since it was launched for the welfare of backward classes and dalits .
