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Does CM Siddaramaiah fear loss of Ahinda voters to Eshwarappa’s brigade?

  • Apart from posing a threat to Siddaramaiah's vote base, Eshwarappa plans to checkmate Yeddyurappa as well
  • Eshwarappa might become a headache as he is fighting BJP top brass in Karnataka
Does CM Siddaramaiah fear loss of Dalit voters to Eshwarappas Rayanna brigade

 

The Karnataka state government recently marked the 186th death anniversary of Sangolli Rayanna, the 18th century warrior and freedom fighter who hailed from the Kuruba community of Belagavi. CM Siddaramaiah, however, was in a fighting mood himself. He launched a scathing attack against K S Eshwarappa who had launched Sangolli Rayanna Brigade at Bagalkot. The brigade is suppose to garner support from Dalits, minorities and backward communities

 

Political observers say that this is a time for competitive populism where any opportunity a political leader gets for self-aggrandisement will not go waste. And since Karnataka will be facing elections next year, so the leaders belonging to communities, particularly the minorities and backward will milk it to their advantage. All birth and death anniversaries, from BR Ambedkar, Tippu Sultan, Sangolli Rayanna, Sarvajna, Basavanna will be politicised for their own advantage.

 

KS Eshwarappa, who kept a low profile in BJP, has suddenly emerged as a challenger for CM Siddaramaiah, who identifies himself as a leader of the Dalits, minorities and backward communities. Apart from posing a threat to Siddaramaiah's vote base, KS Eshwarappa plans to consolidate his position within the BJP to checkmate Yeddyurappa, the party president.

 

The war of words between Eshwarappa and Yeddyurappa has become the talk of the political circles both in the North and South. The top brass in BJP Delhi have summoned the duo the broker a peace between the two. The two are arguing  over Eshwarappa’s Brigade in Bagalkot this week.

 

Also read: This is why Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa will never come together

 

"KS Eshwarappa is aiming at a large vote base through this brigade. He wants to carve a niche within BJP and project himself as a mass leader," said Professor Sandeep Shastri, Pro Vice Chancellor, Jain University.

 

Although Eshwarappa might manage to get about 5 per cent of the Kuruba community support using Sangolli Rayanna’s name, his habit of putting his foot in the mouth will go against him, observes  Muzaffar Assadi, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Mysuru.

 

Assadi  remarked," KS Eshwarappa will  become  a headache for the BJP party as he is fighting BJP top brass in Karnataka instead of the Congress leaders.  Siddaramaiah and Yeddyurappa are mass leaders and Eshwarappa does not enjoy as much support as these leaders. Eshwarappa will be threat to BJP than Congress and his community people will go against Yeddyurappa in the election for humiliating their leader," said Assadi.

 

Also read: As KSE and BSY squabble, Karnataka BJP fractures further

 

Venkatesh Murthy, former Mayor of Bengaluru says, the government announcing schemes under the name of Rayanna itself shows they are scared of the brigade launched by Eshwarappa.  "The government never had any gala event to mark the death anniversary of martyr Sangolli Rayanna. But after Eshwarappa announced that he will address the issues of backward communities under the banner, the government has promoted it as a big event. This is very evident that they are scared of the emerging leader for downtrodden," observed Murthy.

 

Countering Murthy's statement, Byrathi Suresh, MLC and Siddaramaiah loyalist,says: "The CM had no role in the conducting of the 186th death anniversary of Rayanna. It was a call given by Kuruba community leaders from across the city, for which the CM was only the chief guest. If Siddaramaiah himself had given a call for the convention, the turnout would have been massive. For this programme only close to 15,000 people had gathered, had it been the other way around the numbers would have gone much higher."

 

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