BENGALURU: The peace talks mediated by BJP national president Amit Shah on Friday night to resolve the differences between Karnataka party president BS Yeddyurappa and senior party leader KS Eshwarappa have borne fruit.
Some tough talking by Shah resulted in Eshwarappa agreeing to dissociate himself from the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade (SRB), which was the bone of contention between him and Yeddyurappa.
Though the result of the talks appears to be a victory for Yeddyurappa, there have been gains for Eshwarappa as well. While he has agreed to sever ties with the SRB, Eshwarappa will now be head of the BJP’s OBC Morcha and would have a free hand to organise OBC and Dalit programmes and rallies in all districts in the name of Sangolli Rayanna, but under the banner of BJP.
Shah, who had summoned the feuding leaders to his house on Friday, held talks for almost three hours.
Shah also tried to placate Eshwarappa by assuring him that his grievances of injustice to party loyalists in the appointment of office bearers would be looked into. Shah has given instructions that a committee headed by Muralidhar Rao, BJP national general secretary in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, be constituted to examine the complaints in this regard. The committee will also look into the suspension of party leaders who were punished for associating themselves with the SRB.
Eshwarappa is also said to have got Shah’s assurance that he will be given a party ticket to contest from Shivamogga in the coming assembly election. Emerging from the meeting, both Eshwarappa and Yeddyurappa announced that their differences have been sorted out and they will work together for the 2018 assembly election.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rao reiterated that no leader or party worker would be allowed to participate in any activities of the Brigade. He added that Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa buried their differences and work together.