Daijiworld Media Network-Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, May 21: Senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa and some of his supporters have approached the party’s central leadership again with complaints against state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa.

It is gathered that Eshwarappa with his supporters met party national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao on Saturday, May 20. Rao is in charge of BJP in Karnataka.

Eshwarappa was accompanied by M B Bhanuprakash, M B Nandeesh, Sogadu Shivanna, Somanna Bevinamarad, A H Shivayogi Swami, S A Ravindranath and others. They met Rao as early as 6.45 am at the BJP office in Malleswaram.

The team included nearly 18 BJP rebels who have been openly questioning Yeddyurappa’s style of functioning and also his choice of candidates for the post of office bearers and district presidents.

Sources said that the discussion lasted for one hour.

The rebels reminded Rao that they had stated at a convention last month that they will take out a mammoth rally in Bengaluru on May 20 if the list of office bearers was not revised and the issue of district presidents was not sorted out. They said there was little progress in addressing their demands.

The rebels also said a meeting of a panel as suggested by national president Amit Shah comprising Eshwarappa, Yeddyurappa and RSS functionaries B L Santhosh and Arun Kumar to sort out all internal differences, had not been convened.

“There is too much interference in the party affairs by a state general secretary,” they said without mentioning the name.

It is taken as reference to Member of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje as the rebels had taken out her name in other forums previously with the same complaint.

Rao promised them that he will look into all issues, discuss them with the central leadership and ensure they are solved.

Rao asked the team not to make any public statements or talk to the media on the internal affairs of the party. He also asked them not to associate with the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade.

Later in the day, Eshwarappa and his supporters met RSS functionaries at Chamarajpet and held discussions with them.

The rift between Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa camps has been seen for past several months and was even evident at the BJP state executive meeting in Mysuru recently.

The two BJP leaders had tried to put up a show of unity at the first day of the Janasamparka Abhiyan tour on Thursday in Tumakuru but parted ways the next day.

Yeddyurappa will continue with his drought tour from Bagalkote from Monday.