Expelled BJP leader Eshwarappa comes a cropper in Shimoga, forfeits security deposit

PTI, Jun 4, 2024, 5:43 PM IST

Expelled BJP leader K S Eshwarappa came a cropper forfeiting his security deposit in Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, where the party veteran B S Yediyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra retained the seat by a margin of more than two lakh votes over Congress candidate Geetha Shivarajkumar.

Eshwarappa, a former Deputy Chief Minister who had also earlier served as the BJP’s state unit President, secured 30,005 votes as against Raghavendra’s 7,78,721. Geetha, who is the wife of Karnataka film star Shivarajkumar and daughter-in-law of Kannada thespian late Rajkumar, got 5,35,006 votes.

While the stage was almost set for a contest between Raghavendra and Geetha, Eshwarappa rebelled against the party over the denial of ticket to his son K E Kantesh from neighbouring Haveri, and decided to contest in Shimoga against Yediyurappa’s son.

Eshwarappa, who hails from Shivamogga (Shimoga) district, had entered the fray as an independent, blaming Raghavendra’s brother and state BJP President B Y Vijayendra and Yediyurappa for his son being overlooked.

Eshwarappa, who was considered to be the ‘Kuruba face’ of the BJP, remained steadfast on his decision to contest, spurning efforts by party leaders to pacify him.

The 75-year-old had campaigned vigorously claiming that his fight is not against the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but to “purify” the party in the state by setting it free from the clutches of Yediyurappa and sons.

He has accused them of trying to establish dynasty rule in the party, by sidelining several Hindutva leaders.

Eshwarappa was expelled by the party on April 22 for six years, after he refused to bow out of the poll race, accusing him of violating party discipline.

The party’s decision to expel the former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, who had also served as Minister holding several prominent portfolios when BJP was in power, came on the last day for withdrawal of candidature for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka on May seven.

Eshwarappa along with Yediyurappa and late H N Ananth Kumar is widely credited for building the BJP from the grassroots in Karnataka.

Claiming that the party in the state is in the clutches of its Parliamentary board member Yediyurappa and his family, with his one son as MP and other son Vijayendra as MLA and the state BJP President, Eshwarappa, has repeatedly accused Yediyurappa of sidelining those who espoused the cause of Hindutva like Nalin Kumar Kateel, Pratap Simha, C T Ravi and D V Sadananda Gowda.