Shivamogga (Karnataka): Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and rebel BJP leader K S Eshwarappa will file his nomination for Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate today on Friday April 12.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Shivamogga, Eshwarappa asserted he would file his nomination in the wake of speculation that he would back off from contesting the polls and said a large number of people would turn up in his support.
"Sit down to talk is now a finished chapter. I am not ready to negotiate with anyone. I have entered the electoral battleground. Thousands of people are working with me. If I go back it will be an injustice to my workers. It is like leaving them in the middle of the water. I will win this election," Eshwarappa said.
"Tomorrow, a large number of people from across the constituency will come as I will be filing my nomination papers. I was not sure that I would get such an overwhelming response during my election campaign," the veteran leader added.
"Everyone will come for the submission of nomination papers. Common people are star promoters for me. National and state leaders cannot come. However, Goolihatti Shekhar and N Veerappa, president of Madiwala society, have come. I have not called anyone,'' he said.
"Let Yediyurappa put his photograph in the middle and picture of his sons on either side and seek votes. We will see how many votes he will get. Yediyurappa had once quit BJP and formed Karnataka Janata Paksha (in 2012). All that he got was six seats," Eshwarappa added.
"Modi photo is in my heart. It cannot be differentiated. Who is he to tell me not to use the Modi photo? Who gave them the authority?'' he asked.
"Narendra Modi is a global leader. He is a role model for me. Let's see what the court says. Father and children should go with only their photos. Let's see how many votes they will receive," he said.
Eshwarappa rebelled against the party after BJP denied his son K E Kantesh a ticket from the Haveri Lok Sabha seat. He held former Chief Minister and BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa and his two sons B Y Raghavendra and B Y Vijayendra responsible for his son not being given a chance to contest. The BJP has fielded former CM Basavaraj Bommai from the Haveri Lok Sabha seat. Raghavendra is the BJP candidate from Shivamogga and Vijayendra is the party's state unit president.
