Will be back soon: Eshwarappa
Before submitting his resignation to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai late on Friday night, a defiant KS Eshwarappa told supporters in his hometown of Shivamoga that he will be back as minister very soon once the truth about the alleged suicide of a contractor comes to light. His supporters responded saying that it was a ‘forced resignation.’
“I don’t want to cause any trouble for my seniors and well-wishers in the party. I am also confident I will come out clean,” he told reporters.
In a massive show of strength, a huge convoy of cars accompanied him as he drove to the capital Bengaluru to resign.
Eshwarappa got support from former chief minister BS Yediyurappa who is himself tainted, that his former colleague will be back as a minister soon.
But the Congress taunted Bommai asking him why Eshwarappa was resigning if he was innocent.
Sources said Eshwarappa, 74, who is the seniormost party leader after Yediyurappa, made desperate efforts to continue as minister by canvassing for support within the party and government, but found little support.
He was finally forced to quit after the party top brass reportedly asked Bommai to secure his resignation to avoid embarrassment at the national level and ahead of the state’s two-day state BJP’s executive meeting beginning Saturday at Hospet in Vijayanagar, which BJP national president JP Nadda is expected to attend.
“Till Wednesday, Eshwarappa was confident the party would stand by him. But the high command thought continuing him would do more harm than good,’’ a BJP leader was quoted in the media. However, the minister denied any pressure. “If I’ve committed any mistake, let God punish me. I’m confident of coming out clean from the allegations in the contractor’s suicide case,” he said. Contractor Santhosh Patil, who died on Tuesday, had accused Eashwarappa, who handles the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj portfolio, of demanding 40% cut to clear a bill worth Rs4 crore for work he had done for the Rural Development department.