SHIVAMOGGA: Reiterating his intention to rid the party of “the influence of former CM BS Yediyurappa and his family,” senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency on Friday.
He said his intention is to cleanse the state BJP after defeating party candidate B Y Raghavendra.
Although Eshwarappa had previously stated his stance on contesting the election, he has now laid all doubts to rest by officially filing his candidacy. As of now, the state BJP has not taken any action against him. However, sources indicated that he may receive a showcause notice if he fails to withdraw his nomination by April 22, the deadline for candidature withdrawal.
Eshwarappa, accompanied by former minister Gulihatti Shekhar and PM Narendra Modi lookalike Sadananda Nayak from Udupi, was taken out in a procession followed by a large crowd during the filing of his nomination.
Prior to this, Eshwarappa conducted pujas at the Kote Shree Seeta Ramanjaneya Temple and the Kote Shree Marikamba Temple. The procession commenced from Ramanna Shreshthi Park and passed through Gandhi Bazaar, Ameer Ahmad Circle and Gopi Circle before concluding at the DC’s office. The procession also featured various art troupes. Eshwarappa submitted his nomination to Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Gurudatta Hegde.
Addressing a gathering of his supporters later, Eshwarappa expressed confidence of winning the election by defeating Raghavendra and Congress candidate Geetha Shivarajkumar. He reiterated his aim to liberate the state BJP from the influence of the father-son duo of Yediyurappa and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, along with Raghavendra, the sitting MP.
“My intention is not merely to become an MP. It is to liberate the state BJP from the clutches of father and sons. Raghavendra will return home after his defeat. Vijayendra will step down as BJP state president,” he said. Eshwarappa urged his supporters to ensure his victory and thereby re-elect Narendra Modi as Prime Minister.
Eshwarappa’s son Kanthesh also criticised Yediyurappa and his sons, alleging that the former CM had deceived him by not granting a ticket from Haveri constituency. Shekhar also addressed the crowd, seeking their support for Eshwarappa.