‘CM’ Shettar? Not so fast

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New alignments and caste equations are being forged in the ruling BJP with party state chief K.S. Eshwarappa hinting that he was an aspirant for the CM post and even meeting former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday to seek his support.

After secretly meeting Mr Yeddyurappa at Jindal Nature Cure Hospital, Mr Eshwarappa drove down to Shimoga to make a subtle announcement on his plan to aspire for the CM post. Sources said a section of backward class MLAs and ministers of the BJP have rallied behind Mr Eshwarappa — a Kuruba leader. They include municipal administration minister Balachandra Jarkiholi and science and technology minister Anand Asnotikar.

That Mr Eshwarappa is really serious about his candidature can be gauged from the fact that he has already approached senior RSS leaders in Karnataka and central leaders, seeking their support. He has even tried to play the seniority card saying he stands next to only his Shimoga counterpart, Mr Yeddyurappa in the BJP as far as service to the party is concerned.

The projection of a backward class leader like Mr Eshwarappa is interpreted as a move to curtail the dominance of Lingayat MLAs and ministers in the party. Sources said SC/ST and backward class MLAs are likely to consolidate themselves into a group and pledge their support to Mr Eshwarappa, adding that party MLAs Aravind Limbavali, B.C. Nagesh, B.N. Vijaykumar and S.A. Ramadas have already pledged their support to the party president.

During his meeting with Mr Yeddyurappa, Mr Eshwarappa reportedly told him that he could face a major threat from rural development minister Jagadish Shettar if the Lingayat leader was made chief minister. “Mr Eshwarappa told BSY that the former CM’s chances of making a comeback after the next election would well be over if Mr Shettar — who is a Lingayat like Yeddyurappa — was projected as CM. We will have to wait and see how Mr Yeddyurappa reacts to his candidature,” sources said.