SHIVAMOGGA: BJP’s victory in the Sira bypolls was due to the collective leadership and not because of the efforts of one person, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa told reporters on Tuesday.
Asked if discussions were being held within the BJP to give credit to one person for the party’s victory in Sira, Eshwarappa himself took the name of Vijayendra, CM BS Yediyurappa’s son and party state vice president.
He said, “No such discussion is being held within the party. It is a section of the media which is glorifying Vijayendra. Elections are won due to the collective efforts of the party leaders.
If you take Sira for example, DCM Govind Karjol and MLA Suresh Gowda took the lead. Leaders like R Ashoka and C N Ashwath Narayan led from the front in RR Nagar,” he said. Asked about BJP MLC Ayanur Manjunath’s statement that Vijayendra was fit to be the political heir of Yediyurappa, Eshwarappa said it was the former’s personal opinion.
Referring to Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and B K Hariprasad criticising RSS using words like ‘Chaddi’, he said it is not a casteist organisation but creates patriots. “Congress leaders are criticising RSS to impress AICC chief Sonia Gandhi.
They do not know anything about RSS but keep criticising it whenever they get a chance. Congress will completely lose its existence if its leaders keep on doing so,” he said. “We are inspired by the RSS and are here to realise the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhai Patel. I can’t train Congress leaders on RSS, but I can send them books which will provide them enough information about it,” he said.