Opposition leader in the Legislative Council K.S. Eshwarappa is at the centre of a controversy after his involvement in the activities of Sangolli Rayanna Brigade (SRB). His main intention was to checkmate party’s state unit president B.S. Yeddyurappa, after the former Chief Minister unilaterally appointed Rudregowda as Bharatiya Janata Party’s Shivamogga district president. Mr Rudregowda had pushed Mr Eshwarappa to third position in the 2013 Assembly elections while fighting on a Karnataka Janata Party ticket. Though SRB has not made any impact on the Congress government so far, it has created confusion among the party cadre. Even after the peace talks with Yeddyurappa, Mr Eshwarappa is not in a mood to completely wind up Sangolli Rayanna Brigade. He said that Sangolli Rayanna Brigade will be an apolitical organization in future. Excerpts from an interview.
After B.S. Yeddyurappa become party president, there is discontent in the state BJP with leaders opposing his decisions. You have openly raised your voice against him, how long it will this continue?
Following the directions of our national organising secretary Ramlaljee, I and Yeddyurappa met on October 15. We discussed his unilateral decisions after he become state president. Without discussing this with party leaders, he appointed office bearers, district presidents and secretaries. After I raised the issue, Mr Yeddyurappa has agreed to set right his wrong decisions, he also agreed to incorporate workers who were left out of the office-bearers list. Since Yeddyurappa has agreed to set right the decisions, we hope that things will be alright soon.
Yeddyurappa is disturbed with the activities of SRB but you did not heed his instruction to stop this, why?
In the meeting we discussed SRB activities and its implications. Yeddyurappa stated that there was no need for separate organizations after the central leadership appointed him as party state president. I have met many pontiffs of various OBC and Dalits mutts. We have requested these pontiffs to get involved in SRB activities, but they said that since it has political affiliations, they cannot get involved. They said that if SRB is apolitical, they would support it. So we have decided not to give political colour to SRB and include all poor sections. Mr Yeddyurappa has agreed to this.
According to Yeddyurappa, there is no need for a parallel organization like SRB, since the party has an OBC Morcha.
This was also discussed in the meeting, but pontiffs of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes’ mutts cannot take part in the meetings organized by OBC Morcha or SC/ST Morcha. Since we have decided to keep SRB apolitical, Yeddyurappa and pontiffs of the mutts have agreed to this. I will participate in the special meetings of SRB and also in party activity.
Throughout your political career, you have identified yourself as pro-Hindu but not pro-Ahinda (a term coined by CM Siddaramaiah). Why have you suddenly changed your stand and identified yourself with backward class movements by setting up SRB?
In the Hindu community, we also have dalits and backward classes. If we strengthen the downtrodden, Hindutva will be strengthened. Yes, I have not identified myself with caste groups. Siddaramaiah became Chief Minister after he identified with AHINDA, but he has not taken up any programme for the downtrodden. These groups are annoyed with Siddaramaiah and approached me to create a parallel organizations to ensure justice for dalits and OBCs.
There is a fear among the party cadre that if the state leadership does not set its house in order, it would be difficult to cross 150 seats in the 2018 elections.
That perception has been cleared after I and Yeddyurappa met on October 15. Now Yeddyurappa has agreed to take decisions based on the collective opinion.
Are you have confident that Yeddyurappa will change his working style in future?
Yeddyurappa has the capacity to take all leaders together, in the past he has taken everyone into confidence.
Since state and district office-bearers have already been appointed, are you sure Mr Yeddyurappa will revise the list?
Let us see. He has agreed to set right things, it will help the organization.
Did Yeddyurappa take ‘unilateral’ decisions to teach a lesson to his opponents including you?
There is no intention to teach lessons to any leader. He has taken decisions heeding the words of his supporters. After the cadre expressed their displeasure, Yeddyurappa realised there are anomalies in the appointments and decided to set them right.
There is also criticism that Yeddyurappa takes decisions without consulting the BJP core committee, did you raise this issue in the meeting?
Yes, all leaders told him that any decision should be discussed in the party core committee. Yeddyurappa has agreed to this.
You and Yeddyurappa were good friends and hail from the same district, why did your relationship get strained?
I have only issue-based differences with him, personally we are good friends. When Yeddyurappa launched KJP, I opposed his decision, but that has not affected our friendship. I opposed him only because of issues such as appointment of office-bearers.
Other senior leaders are also opposing Yeddyurappa, but they made you a front to fight him, is it true?
No one is pushing me to fight him, I have the ability to think independently. I will heed my conscience, if other leaders are not expressing their views, it is their fault.
Rightist and leftist groups are at loggerheads regarding the protest march to Udupi Krishna Mutt on Pankthi Beda, what is your stand?
The state government has given a free hand to Leftist groups and has completely failed to check extremist groups. In the Gokarna Mutt controversy, the government gave seven notices, after it became an issue, they stopped efforts to take control of the Mutt. Now in Udupi, the Leftist have started Udupi Chalo but they are silent on the loot of Wakf Board properties. The Bharatiya Janata Party will oppose Leftist groups if they continue with the Udupi Chalo programme.
