Mend your ways in our party's interest: Amit Shah to BS Yeddyurappa, KS Eshwarappa

Bengaluru: BJP president Amit Shah reprimanded two warring leaders—state unit president B. S. Yeddyurappa and leader of Opposition leader in the Legislative Council K.S.Eshwarappa—on Friday and told them to mend their ways in the interest of party.

In an effort to put in place damage control measures, Mr. Shah summoned the two leaders to New Delhi, and told them to work together to improve the prospects of the party.

Sources in the state unit of BJP said the meeting at Mr. Shah’s residence at Delhi was attended by party national organization secretary Ramlal, national joint secretary, Santhosh, state unit in-charge Muralidhar Rao.

The Lingayat strongman complained to party president about statements of Mr Eshwarappa and its adverse impact on party since three months. Conducting parallel meetings of Sangolli Rayanna Brigade (SRB) has created lot of confusion among party workers, they are not able to conduct or organize any programmes at the district level.

Since the party has OBC morcha, Mr Eshwarappa has the liberty to organize SRB type of convention at party platform, but holding parallel programmes will dent the party image and adversely affect party prospects in 2018 Assembly elections, Mr. Yeddyurappa reportedly explained to Mr. Shah.

Mr. Muralidhar Rao also echoed the same opinion, and appealed to Mr. Shah to instruct Mr Eshwarappa to stop participating in SRB conventions in future.

Mr. Eshwarappa, however, told Mr Shah that SRB would not harm the BJP’s prospects, rather would help the party return to power in 2018 elections. “Our main objective is to mobilize OBC, SC and ST voters against the Congress government, since majority of OBC leaders are ready to join the BJP before 2018 elections”, Mr Eshwarappa argued.

Mr. Eshwarappa also complained about unilateral decisions taken by Mr Yeddyurappa while appointing office bearers, district and taluk unit presidents and secretaries. Without consulting district unit leaders, he had unilaterally appointed district unit presidents.

Mr. Eshwarappa cited the example of his home district, Shivamogga, to Mr. Shah. Unilateral decisions of Mr Yeddyurappa has created unrest among the cadre and they have maintained distance from party activities, Mr. Eshwarappa explained and urged the party president to reverse few unilateral decisions of Mr Yeddyurappa.

Mr. Shah instructed both the leaders to work together, and asked Mr Eshwarappa to conduct SRB activities as part of party platform rather an apolitical event in order to enhance the support base of the party at grass roots level.

Earlier in a day, Mr. Shah took inputs from Union ministers from Karnataka on ground realities. In the meeting, two Union ministers reportedly told Mr Shah that due to tussle between Mr Yeddyurappa and Mr. Eshwarappa, party workers are in confused status and party is struggling to take forward its fight against the ruling Congress party. These two ministers did not take sides during their discussion with the party president.