The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday expelled rebel leader K S Eshwarappa for six years for violating party discipline and contesting as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha polls.
Eshwarappa, who was the party’s state unit president, was expelled for violating party discipline. He had earlier blamed state BJP president B Y Vijayendra and his father, veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa, for his son K E Kantesh being denied a ticket to contest from Haveri.
The party’s decision to expel Eshwarappa, the former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, came on the last day for withdrawal of candidature for the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka on May 7.
Eshwarappa has been a staunch supporter of the BJP and is widely credited for building the party from the grassroots in Karnataka, along with Yediyurappa and the late H N Ananth Kumar.
However, he has recently been critical of the party leadership in the state, accusing it of sidelining those who espoused the cause of Hindutva. He has also accused Yediyurappa of promoting his family members over other deserving candidates.
Despite his expulsion, Eshwarappa has said that he will continue to work for the BJP and its ideology.
