Rally against rally, is Karnataka BJP heading for another split?
Eshwarappa downplayed the rivalry, saying he would attend any meeting held by the party in the interest of backward communities.
Hubballi: Seeming far from rattled by the decision of state BJP chief, B.S. Yeddyurappa to hold a parallel convention of scheduled tribes and other backward classes under the party banner, senior leader, K S Eshwarappa claimed on Wednesday that he was all for it and would even participate in it.
Although Yeddyurappa is believed to have planned his convention to counter the rallies organised by his Sangolli Rayanna Brigade , Mr Eshwarappa downplayed the rivalry, saying he would attend any meeting held by the party in the interest of backward communities.
While admitting Mr Yeddyurappa was not happy with the launch of the brigade, he said such differences would be sorted out amicably. "I am a loyal worker of the BJP and will abide by any decision taken by it. The Sangolli Rayanna Brigade has been started to bring the BJP back to power by uniting the backward communities. We don’t need to take the party high command’s permission to start such an organisation, which is non-political,” he contended, after attending a meeting of the brigade in Kudal Sangam, Bagalkot.
Maintaining that all backward community leaders of the party would join the brigade in future, he claimed it was already attracting many, who were not traditional supporters of BJP. While it was decided at the meeting to organise a huge show of strength in Kudal Sangam on January 26 by assembling over two lakh people from North Karnataka, Mr Eshwarappa revealed that several other meets would be held shortly.
“Over 50,000 people will take part in SRB's first convention in Haveri on October 1. The BJP has been projected as a party of the Brahmins and Lingayats in the past. But it also belongs to Dalits and backward communities," he declared.