Mangaluru: Former minister K S Eshwarappa expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of the BJP in Karnataka, which he claims is heavily influenced by B S Yediyurappa and his family. Speaking to the media in Mangaluru on Tuesday, Eshwarappa stated that many loyal party workers, including himself, are disheartened by the dominance of Yediyurappa's family.

"He has lost the trust of the people in Shikaripura itself. The party's central leadership mistakenly believes that the BJP's strength in Karnataka relies solely on B S Yediyurappa. They overlook other significant leaders like Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a strong Hindutva proponent and prominent Lingayat community leader," Eshwarappa remarked.

Eshwarappa lamented the BJP's shift towards what he termed "Congress culture" in the state. He pointed out the irony in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to end dynasty politics in Congress, while the BJP in Karnataka seems to support the same under Yediyurappa's family.

He attributed the party's reduced strength in the Assembly to the family politics of Yediyurappa and his sons, which has resulted in the BJP holding only 66 seats.

A staunch RSS and Hindutva supporter, Eshwarappa emphasized his commitment to the principles taught by the RSS and his respect for senior leadership. However, he noted that recent events, including being forced to resign from his ministerial post and being denied MLA and MP tickets, have compelled him to consider running as an independent candidate.

Eshwarappa announced his support for Raghupathi Bhat, a rebel candidate in the MLC elections from Udupi. He criticized the party for denying Bhat a ticket and instead nominating a candidate who had previously allied with anti-Hindu groups.

According to Eshwarappa, the party workers understand the situation and are covertly supporting Bhat. He expressed confidence in Bhat's chances of winning the MLC elections.

"Nobody can remove me from the BJP until my last breath. This is the party we have built with our sweat and blood," Eshwarappa declared.