Amit Shah to solve Yeddyurappa-Eshwarappa spat soon

Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP President B S Yeddyurappa said the ongoing the tussle between him and senior leader K S Eshwarappa would be solved as soon as possible with the intervention of national party President Amit Shah.

“I do not wish to speak much on (spat with) Eshwarappa … Central leaders are aware of the developments…. Party men and Amit Shah will sit down, discuss and solve the issue as soon as possible,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa also asked Eshwarappa, who is openly highly critical of his style of functioning, to stop conducting separate conventions under the banner of Rayanna Brigade Movement led by him in the name of communities. “If somebody (Eshwarappa) is trying to go ahead with conducting such separate conventions in the name of communities, it should be stopped forthwith. There is no need for such a thing,” he said.

A mega convention of the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade, formed by Eshwarappa in a move seen as a show of strength, is being held tomorrow at Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district. The two senior leaders are in friction ever since Eshwarappa launched the Sangolli Rayanna movement, which Yeddyurappa is opposing vociferously, causing sharp divisions in the state unit which is hoping to stage a comeback to power in the next Assembly polls.

Eshwarappa had said earlier that Brigade activities would not stop at any cost, adding, it was not directed against any party or individual but only to fight for the uplift of dalits, backward classes and deprived sections in all castes.

Sangolli Rayanna (1798 1831) was the army chief of the Kittur Kingdom ruled by Rani Chennamma and fought against the British who hanged him to death from a Banyan tree near Nandagad in Belgaum district in 1831.

Asked about the central leaders’ initial opinion on this matter, which is causing damage to the party, Yeddyurappa said, “I don’t know. The central leaders are busy – some of them are busy with Uttar Pradesh elections and some others were busy with Parliamentary session,”

Asked how soon the issue would be solved, Yeddyurappa said, “As soon as possible.”

Yeddyurappa demanded resignation of state minister Ramesh Jarkiholi for allegedly possessing undisclosed assets and cash, which was detected by the Income Tax sleuths in a raid.

“Ramesh Jarkiholi should tender resignation on this issue.” 

The Income Tax department has detected undisclosed assets worth over Rs 162 crore and seized Rs 41 lakh cash, besides over a dozen kg in gold and jewellery during searches on the premises of Jarkiholi and state Mahila Congress President Laxmi R Hebbalkar in Gokak, Belagavi and in Bengaluru last week.

Jarkiholi has dismissed the raids as a “political conspiracy.” Yeddyurappa also flayed Siddaramaiah for giving an “irresponsible statement” feigning ignorance about the I-T raids against Hebbalkar and Jarkiholi.