Shivamogga, Apr 9 (IANS): Veteran BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa on Tuesday, participated in a programme organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the occasion of the Ugadi festival in Shivamogga.

Eshwarappa, who recently rebelled against the BJP and declared his candidacy as an Independent for the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat, attended the event alongside BJP candidate B.Y. Raghavendra, the son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

The programme, held in the premises of Adichunchanagiri School, saw both Raghavendra and Eshwarappa donning RSS uniforms. Despite being in close proximity, the two did not exchange greetings.

Raghavendra appeared cheerful while seated in the middle row, whereas Eshwarappa maintained a serious demeanour on the last row.

Eshwarappa's dissatisfaction stems from the denial of a Lok Sabha ticket to his son K.E. Kanthesh from the Haveri parliamentary seat. Blaming former CM B.S. Yediyurappa for this decision, Eshwarappa vowed to contest against Yediyurappa's son Raghavendra in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat. He had also set a condition for the party to remove B.Y. Vijayendra, one of the sons of Yediyurappa, from the post of the state president.

Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to Eshwarappa during his visit to Bengaluru. Eshwarappa had claimed that Amit Shah requested him to withdraw from the contest but later refused to meet him. After returning from New Delhi, Eshwarappa maintained that by refusing to meet him, Amit Shah had given a green signal for him to contest the election as an independent candidate.