'There is huge anger among our workers and leaders, so many of us have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka as Independents to fight against this injustice.'
Former Karnataka deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa, who along with number of prominent Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from Karnataka have raised a banner of revolt against former chief minister and BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com why he is firm about his decision to contest as an Independent candidate from Shivamogga and how Yediyurappa is concentrating all power in his hand even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps criticising the Congress for its dynastic politics.
"Narendra Modi is fighting against families controlling politics. The same thing is happening in Karnataka. Yediyurappa and his sons are taking the control of the BJP in Karnataka," says Eshwarappa.
You are not happy with the BJP leadership in Karnataka over non-allocation of a Lok Sabha election ticket to your son K E Kantesh?
Not only my son, all the Hindutva youth and all the Hindutva leaders (of Karnataka) are not happy (with the BJP) because they have all been rejected.
All the Hindutva leaders like C T Ravi, Pratap Simha, Nalin Kateel, D V Sadananda Gowda have been denied tickets to contest the Lok Sabha elections. That is why throughout the state all Hindu workers are very much angry; the cause of Hindutva is being stifled by the state BJP leadership and that is why we are all very much angry.
B S Yediyurappa's one son is an MP (B Y Raghavendra from Shimoga), one son is an MLA (B Y Vijayendra, the MLA of Shikaripura) and he is also the state president (he replaced Nalin Kateel).
Narendra Modi is saying that there is kutumba rajkarana only in the Congress but family politics is becoming stronger and stronger in BJP Karnataka.
All our workers and leaders are unhappy and that is why we are contesting from here as Independents so that our voice must reach our central leaders.
Did you try to speak to Narendra Modi or Amit Shah?
I am very much a small worker. I don't want to talk to Narendra Modi. This information will have already reached Narendra Modiji, J P Naddaji. It is time for them now to think about the Karnataka BJP leadership.
Do you think that only B S Yediyurappa is responsible for not giving tickets to Hindutva leaders? Or is it that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah don't want 'Hindu leaders' to contest as BJP candidates from Karnataka?
Our national leaders are very much depending on Yediyurappa (in deciding who will contest from the BJP in Karnataka); they are giving MP ticket to his son, MLA ticket to his son, post of state president to his son. That is why all the old and loyal Karnataka BJP workers are unhappy.
You were planning to contest as an Independent Lok Sabha candidate from Shivamogga in Karnataka? Are you still firm on your decision?
100% firm! 100% firm! 100% firm! I will be contesting from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat as an Independent.
Why have you planned to contest as an Independent and not as a BJP candidate?
No. There is no question of the BJP now.
What has changed? You were once the deputy chief minister of the BJP government in Karnataka...
Narendra Modi is fighting against families controlling politics. The same thing is happening in Karnataka. Yediyurappa and his sons are taking the control of BJP in Karnataka. We totally support the decision of Narendra Modi that families should not control politics. That is why we are encouraging Narendra Modi's decision. That is why we are against family politics.
Hindutva leaders are being sidelined in Karnataka today. Be it C T Ravi (former minister of culture and national general secretary), Pratap Simha (sitting BJP MP from Mysuru- Kodagu), Nalin Kateel (former state president), D V Sadananda Gowda (former chief minister), Basanagouda Patil Yatnal (BJP's incumbent Vijayapura MLA). All the Hindutva leaders are being sidelined in Karnataka.
There is huge anger among our workers and leaders because of this family politics, so many of us have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka to fight against this injustice and one-family rule.
Has Yediyurappa become more powerful than Narendra Modi in Karnataka?
I don't know. You ask Narendra Modi that.
Why have these 'Hindutva leaders' been sidelined in Karnataka by Yediyurappa as you claim?
Yediyurappa doesn't want any other leader to grow in stature in Karnataka. He wants everything for his sons. 100% power for his sons and family.
You claim you are fighting against dynastic politics but you wanted a Lok Sabha ticket for your son K E Kantesh. Isn't that also dynastic politics?
No. Narendra Modi informed all the national workers that there should be one man from one family. Today, I am neither an MLA nor an MP.
When state and national leaders informed me that I should not contest electoral politics I agreed and immediately sent a letter saying that I will not contest in the future.
Yediyurappa personally told me that he will give a (Lok Sabha) ticket from Haveri to my son. He even promised to campaign for my son's victory from the Haveri Lok Sabha seat, but he failed to keep his promise.
There is no question of dynasty in my family: My son only wanted to contest as per the one man from one family rule.
The BJP lost the 2023 assembly elections. Do you think the BJP may also suffer a setback in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka with so many Hindutva leaders unhappy about being denied tickets?
Woh toh ho gaya. Uske baare main abhi mujhe discuss nahi karna hai (The assembly elections are over and I don't want to discuss about it now).
How many seats will the BJP win in Karnataka?
I don't know. What I know is I am contesting from Shivamogga as an Independent Lok Sabha candidate.
