State BJP president and deputy chief minister K.S. Eshwarappa took on rebel leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, slamming him for trying to destroy the party in what could be the first indication that the BJP is bracing for the exit of the former chief minister. “No one can destroy the BJP nor should anyone have doubts that the party will not return to power in the next Assembly polls. No one should try to break the party which has been painstakingly built with the hard work put in by lakhs of party workers and great leaders. Every BJP leader should understand this. Any effort to break the party will not be tolerated,” said Mr Eshwarappa in a strong warning to his Shimoga counterpart Mr Yeddyurappa, who had launched a full fledged onslaught on the BJP a couple of days ago.
Speaking to reporters in the sidelines of the party’s SC/ST convention held in the city on Sunday, Mr Eshwarappa took on Yeddyurappa saying, “BSY should not try to break the BJP. He has spoken badly about our party president Nitin Gadkari, Ananth Kumar (general secretary) and me. I will take it my stride and consider his comments as blessings as he is senior to me. But I beg him not to destroy the party as it will send the wrong signals to BJP workers and create unnecessary confusion, especially when we are heading for polls.”
Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, who was present at the convention, along with party MPs Ananth Kumar, D.B. Chandra Gowda and P.C. Mohan, ministers Aravind Limbavali and Narayanaswamy and MLA Katta Subramanya Naidu, declined to comment on party developments or Yeddyurappa’s scathing remarks against senior party leaders including L.K. Advani. It may be recalled that Yeddyurappa had not only boycotted the recent three-day BJP national executive in Haryana, he had openly attacked the party top brass at a press meet in Bengaluru.