The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a stern action against KS Eshwarappa by expelling him from the party for a duration of six years. This decision comes after Eshwarappa decided to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Karnataka’s Shivamogga constituency. The BJP stated that Eshwarappa's decision to go against the party line and contest independently has caused embarrassment to the party.
Shivamogga, where Eshwarappa is contesting, is scheduled to vote on May 7 during the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The Karnataka BJP announced the expulsion, highlighting the reason behind it as Eshwarappa's decision to contest independently.
Eshwarappa, a former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader, filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate from Shivamogga on April 12.
However, on Monday, three independent candidates who had also filed nominations for the same seat withdrew their papers, leaving 23 candidates, including Eshwarappa, in the fray.
The candidates currently contesting from Shivamogga include B.Y. Raghavendra of BJP, Geetha Shivarajkumar of Congress, S.K. Prabhu of Karnataka Rashtra Samiti, Aruna Kanahalli of Uttama Prajakeeya Party, Mohammed Yusuf Khan of Young Star Empowerment Party, and A.D. Shivappa of Bahujan Samaj Party. Alongside them are several independent candidates, including Eshwarappa, who remain in contention for the seat.
With Monday being the last day for candidates to withdraw their nomination papers, the electoral field in Shivamogga has taken its final shape.
Despite the expulsion from BJP, Eshwarappa remains determined to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming elections, along with a diverse array of contestants vying for the parliamentary seat.
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