Shivamogga is witnessing a battle between friends-turned-foes with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rebel KS Eshwarappa fighting as an Independent candidate in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Old timers in Shivamogga remember the days when former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa and KS Eshwarappa together rode the same battered scooter all over the city in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Two RSS workers, who were struggling to find their feet in politics were close friends. Their inseparable relationship even earned them the title of “Rama and Lakshmana”.
Apart from the RSS ideology, they had many more things in common. Both of them were from poor families, they were self-made and had a zeal to make it big in politics. Among the two, Yediyurappa had a bigger stature because of his leadership qualities and Lingayat faith. Eshwarappa was confined only to Shimoga city with no following outside and that has not changed even today.
In 1983, Yediyurappa made his debut in the Karnataka Assembly on a BJP ticket. In the same year, Eshwarappa was also elected to the Shimoga municipality on the same party’s ticket. Their political journey has taken them to the zenith of power both in party and government over the past 40 years.
By filing a nomination against Yediyurappa’s son and BJP candidate BY Raghavendra, Eshwarappa seems to have ended the old bond. Furious over denial of ticket to his son KE Kanthesh from neighbouring Haveri, Eshwarappa has launched an all-out attack on Yediyurappa, his son and Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra, holding them responsible for the “injustice” meted out to him.
Differences between Eshwarappa and Yediyurappa are not new. When Yediyurappa had briefly walked out of the BJP to form his own political outfit Karnataka Janatha Party or KJP in 2012, then deputy CM Eshwarappa had refused to go with him calling him a “traitor”. He had even opposed Yediyurappa’s return to BJP closer to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Today, he himself has almost quit the BJP vowing to decimate the BSY family in Shivamogga district politics.
Eshwarappa’s daily dose of abuses have rattled Yediyurappa. He never expected this kind of an open revolt by Eshwarappa who was forced to retire from electoral politics in the recent Assembly elections. Yediyurappa was under the impression that Eshwarappa would stay silent, keeping his son’s political future in mind, but he has gone after him levelling one or the other allegation against him.
Those who understand Shimoga politics know that it will be difficult for Eshwarappa to split a large chunk of BJP votes. Unlike Yediyurappa, Eshwarappa does not have a mass following across castes. Meanwhile, Yediyurappa has the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Eshwarappa is harping on Hindutva, positioning himself as the custodian of Hindutva brand of politics in Karnataka. Some hardcore Hindutva elements in the BJP have sided with him, causing a minor tremor in the Yediyurappa camp.
However, a large section of the party workers and leaders are still with Yediyurappa. Some of Eshwarappa backers expect him to take away a lakh votes from the BJP, causing the defeat. Others disagree with this theory. They feel that he may not get more than 50,000 votes and at best he can reduce the margin of BJP’s victory.
The ruling Congress, which is cautiously and keenly watching the unfolding developments in the BJP, is playing it safe describing it as “drama”.
The Congress has fielded late CM S Bangarappa’s daughter Geetha Shivarajkumar. Her younger brother Madhu Bangarappa is Primary and Secondary Education minister in the Siddaramaiah government in the state. Madhu and Geetha’s husband, cinema star Shivaraj Kumar, are leading the campaign hoping a realignment of caste dynamics will help her sail through this time.
In 1991, Yediyurappa had lost to Bangarappa’s relative KG Shivappa in Shivamogga. Nineteen years later, Yediyurappa’s son Raghavendra humbled sitting MP Bangarappa in his maiden election in 2009. In 2014, Geetha, who had contested on JDS ticket, finished third against Yediyurappa.
The Congress is expecting a consolidation of backward classes, minorities and SC/STs votes against BJP. The same strategy had worked earlier for them during Bangarappa’s time.
The BJP is banking on Modi and Yediyurappa’s personal clout.
Though Eshwarappa is breathing fire every hour, already declaring his “victory”, he also knows that even wrecking the chances of BJP is an uphill task.
Voting for the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency will take place on May 7 while the counting of votes will take place on June 4.
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