The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, embarked on a mission to address internal dissent within the BJP in Karnataka on Tuesday.
A meeting transpired between HM Shah and former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, KS Eshwarappa, who had raised concerns against the BJP's stance in the state. HM Shah extended an invitation to Eshwarappa to convene in New Delhi for discussions.
Furthermore, HM Shah engaged in dialogue with Independent MP from Mandya, Sumalatha Ambareesh, successfully persuading her to lend support to the NDA candidate.
Insiders revealed that HM Shah engaged in a constructive conversation with senior leader Eshwarappa, who expressed intentions to contest against BJP's candidate, BY Raghavendra, in the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency.
In the conversation, HM Shah patiently listened to Eshwarappa's grievances and stressed that his intention was not to command but to appeal for reconciliation.
Eshwarappa has been invited by HM Shah for a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, to which Eshwarappa responded positively, agreeing to discuss his concerns.
Meanwhile, sources indicate that HM Shah's discussion with Sumalatha Ambareesh yielded positive outcomes. Ambareesh, the incumbent MP from Mandya, had initially sought a BJP ticket but later opted to contest independently when the seat was allocated to the JD(S). However, after assurances from 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, affirmed that Sumalatha Ambareesh would soon announce her decision to support Kumaraswamy.
On a different note, Eshwarappa, addressing a press conference, declared his intention to travel to New Delhi following an invitation from HM Amit Shah.
Expressing his discontent with family politics within the BJP, Eshwarappa emphasized his readiness to step back from contesting in Shivamogga if the state President's position was assigned to another leader in Karnataka.
He underscored the contradiction between PM Narendra Modi's campaign against dynastic politics and the prevalence of a single family's dominance within the BJP in Karnataka. Eshwarappa affirmed his commitment to address this issue in New Delhi while maintaining his stance on contesting from the Shivamogga MP seat.
Responding to inquiries regarding BS Yediyurappa's purported visit, Eshwarappa dismissed it as an attempt to salvage his son's potential defeat, inviting Yediyurappa to visit his house if he so desires.
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