‘Even if PM Modi comes and tries to…’: Karnataka BJP leader K S Eshwarappa

Senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa, whose son was earlier denied a ticket for the Haveri-Gadag Lok Sabha seat, said he will contest independently and win the elections even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes and attempts to change his mind.

While Eshwarappa was speaking at a public gathering in Shivamogga, a female supporter raised a question to him, inquiring about his response if PM Modi were to visit his home and try to persuade him against running for elections independently.

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Replying to her, the former Karnataka minister said, "In this gathering of supporters, I want to assure you that even if Modi attempts to visit my house, I will not entertain him. I will not disrespect my supporters or activists, and I am confident that I will successfully run for elections and emerge victorious.".

Earlier, he said, "I have served the party faithfully for 40 years. CT Ravi, Sadananda Gowda, Nalin Kumar Kateel and Pratap Simha have also come out in my support, saying it was unfair," Eshwarappa claimed.

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He had claimed that his supporters were urging him to contest the Shimoga seat as an Independent, opposite Yediyurappa's son BY Raghavendra, as a mark of protest.

On March 13, the BJP released the second list of 72 Lok Sabha candidates, including three former chief ministers and four Union Ministers.

In Karnataka, the party fielded Union Minister Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad, Tejaswi Surya from Bangalore South constituency, Bommai from Haveri and PC Mohan from Bangalore Central.

The BJP also named BS Yediyurappa's son BY Raghavendra from Shimoga and V Somanna from Tumakuru.

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After this announcement Eshwarappa turned on his own party deciding to mount an independent contest.

"BS Yediyurappa had promised that he would give the ticket to KE Kantesh from Haveri. So I sent my son Kantesh there to campaign...But today my son KE Kantesh didn't get the ticket, and BS Yediyurappa's son got the ticket again" he had said on March 13.

The BJP had released its first list of 195 candidates earlier this month, featuring PM Modi from Varanasi, Home Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar and Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar.