I will contest LS polls independently: Rebel BJP leader Eshwarappa challenges Yediyurappa

SHIVAMOGGA: Furious over his  son K E Kantesh being denied the Lok Sabha ticket from Haveri Lok Sabha constituency, BJP leader K S Eshwarappa has threatened that he will contest as an independent candidate against senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa’s son Raghavendra from Shivamogga.

After a meeting with his supporters, Eshwarappa declared that he would win the Lok Sabha election as an independent and join the BJP within two months of winning.

The rebel BJP leader expressed outrage at Yediyurappa and said the latter has given tickets to people of his choice. “He will be responsible if those candidates lose the Lok Sabha polls”, Eshwarappa warned.

“Basavaraj Bommai told me that he is not in good health and will not contest. But some people said not to believe Bommai. The names of Bommai, Kantesh and Shettar were sent to the central committee. If Bommai did not want to contest, then how was his name mentioned in the list?” Eshwarappa questioned.

Eshwarappa further said, “C T Ravi has travelled everywhere and organised the party. I asked him whether he was interested in contesting the Lok Sabha election. He said that if Shobha Karandlaje does not contest, then he will contest the polls. Shobha did not get the ticket from Udupi-Chikkamagalur, but it went someone else. Pratap Simha, C T Ravi and D V Sadananda Gowda missed the ticket. Stubbornly, Yediyurappa is doing what he wants and the party top brass also agreed. The central leaders listened to Yediyurappa as he is the senior leader in the state”.