Bengaluru, Apr 2 (IANS): Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, got to work on Tuesday by addressing rebellion within the BJP in Karnataka.
HM Shah spoke to former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, KS Eshwarappa, who has raised a banner of revolt against the BJP in the state, and asked him to meet him in New Delhi.
HM Shah also spoke to the Independent MP from Mandya, Sumalatha Ambareesh and succeeded in persuading her to support the NDA candidate.
Sources confirmed that HM Shah spoke to senior leader Eshwarappa who has vowed to challenge the BJP’s candidate, BS Yediyurappa’s son BY Raghavendra in Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency.
HM Shah gave a patient hearing to Eshwarappa and even stated that he was not ordering but requesting him to step back.
The HM has invited Eshwarappa to meet him in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Sources stated that Eshwarappa responded positively and agreed to meet HM Shah in New Delhi and discuss his grievances.
Meanwhile, sources said that HM Shah’s discussion with Sumalatha Ambareesh was successful.
Sumalatha Ambareesh, who is a sitting MP from Mandya, wanted to contest on a BJP ticket, but the party had given the seat to the JD(S).
Sumalatha Ambareesh had stated that she would take a call after a meeting with her supporters and decided to contest as an Independent.
After the assurances by HM Shah, she agreed to support the candidature of former CM and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy.
JD(S) MLA and Core Committee President, GT Deve Gowda, stated that Sumalatha Ambareesh would announce a positive decision to support Kumaraswamy soon.
Meanwhile, Eshwarappa while addressing a press conference stated that he would reach New Delhi on Wednesday as he was invited by HM Amit Shah.
“My struggle is against family politics. The BJP workers are hurt by the encouragement to family politics. HM Amit Shah has directed me to withdraw from the contest against the BJP candidate in Shivamogga. “But, I have conveyed that I am ready to withdraw if the state President’s post is given to any other leader in Karnataka.
“Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has launched a struggle against one family in the country. But, one family is in charge of the BJP in Karnataka. That has to be changed. I will discuss this in New Delhi. But, I will not step back from contesting from the Shivamogga MP seat,” Eshwarappa maintained.
When asked about BS Yediyurappa, planning to visit his house, Eshwarappa stated, that the former CM was proposing to visit him after realising that his son would face defeat.
“He (Yediyurappa) knows my house, let him visit me,” he added.