Eshwarappa: Hardline BJP leader with a penchant for controversies

Karnataka minister K S Eshwarappa, currently at the centre of a political storm following the death of a BJP worker and civil works contractor, is among the most recognisable faces of the BJP in the state.

Having resisted mounting pressure, the senior leader finally decided to quit on Thursday.

Between the late 1980s and early 2000s when the Karnataka BJP grew from a fledgling outfit with only four legislators to the single largest party in the Assembly, Eshwarappa was among its core leaders along with the other party veteran, B S Yediyurappa.

In the early days, Eshwarappa and Yediyurappa were in fact the BJP’s twin leaders from Shimoga, located in Karnataka’s hilly Malnad region — both coming from an RSS background and both having started their careers as local leaders before going on to head the state party unit.

Post-2008, however, Yediyurappa emerged as the party’s strongman, rising above peers such as Eshwarappa, to become the Chief Minister. That widening contrast is also perhaps reflected in the patchy relationship between the two over the years — Eshwarappa and Yediyurappa have had a few spats, as recently as last year when Eshwarappa as minister for rural development and panchayat raj shot off a letter to the Governor complaining that Yediyurappa (who was then CM) was bypassing him while sanctioning funds and issuing orders pertaining to his department.

Also read: Contractor suicide: Congress itself Gangotri of corruption, says Bommai

But coming from Eshwarappa, that episode wasn’t entirely out of character either, despite the suspicion that he had the backing of the anti-Yediyurappa faction within the BJP. Known as outspoken, Eshwarappa has often courted controversy for his hardline views and outbursts against political rivals.

In February, his remark that the saffron bhagwa dhwaj (flag) may become the national flag sometime in the future led to a furore in the state’s legislative assembly.

A party loyalist, Eshwarappa was a minister in the BJP’s first term in office in Karnataka between 2008 and 2012 handling key portfolios such as energy and revenue. He was also the deputy chief minister between 2012 and 2013.

As a community leader, his chief tussle has been with the Congress’ Siddaramaiah – both belong to the Kuruba community (an OBC caste group) and their frequent volleys over the years have often been seen in that context.