Despite discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka KS Eshwarappa remains steadfast in his decision to contest the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate against BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghvendra. Eshwarappa asserts that his fight is against the family of BS Yediyurappa, a former Chief Minister and a prominent figure in the Lingayat community.
Eshwarappa’s decision comes after the BJP denied a ticket to his son KE Kantesh from the Haveri seat, opting instead for former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Blaming Yediyurappa for this decision, Eshwarappa is set to travel to Delhi on Wednesday to meet with Amit Shah to discuss his grievances.
The Shivamogga constituency has been dominated by Yediyurappa and his son BY Raghavendra since 2009. Apart from Eshwarappa and Raghvendra, Geetha Shivarajkumar of the Congress is also contesting for the seat. Eshwarappa, a member of the Kuruba caste, has previously won the Shivamogga constituency five times.
Initially announcing his decision to retire from electoral politics, Eshwarappa reversed his stance after his son was denied a ticket. He notably abstained from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Shivamogga on March 18.
The development underscores simmering discontent within the BJP across various constituencies following the announcement of Lok Sabha election candidates. In the Belgaum Lok Sabha seat, internal discord has emerged after the BJP nominated former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar. Similar discontent is observed in several other constituencies, including Davangere, Chikkaballapur, Koppal, Haveri, Tumkur, Bidar, Raichur, and Chitradurga.
Karnataka is scheduled to vote in two phases for the Lok Sabha elections on April 26 and May 7, encompassing all 28 constituencies.
