Karnataka BJP Veteran KS Eshwarappa quits electoral politics, weeks before polls

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday announced his decision to quit electoral politics weeks ahead of the Karnataka election saying that he would not contest the May 10 polls, adding to the intense speculation about the party delaying the announcement of candidates.

"I am withdrawing from electoral politics," Eshwarappa said in a letter to BJP president JP Nadda.

"The party gave me a lot of responsibilities in the last 40 years. I went from a booth in-charge to state party chief. I also had the honour of becoming Deputy Chief Minister," he wrote in a brief letter in Kannada. He said the decision was his own.

This may have been a preemptive move by Eshwarappa, who had hinted last month that he would be dropped as a candidate.

Eshwarappa turns 75 this June, the unofficial age bar in the BJP for leaders to contest polls and hold posts. A staunch Hindutva leader, he is also the face of the Kuruba community in the BJP.

Following the announcement, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai hailed the Eshwarappa for putting the interests of the party first.

"The spirit of a BJP Karyakarta. Always putting the party first. Grateful to BJP for giving opportunities to all of us to contribute to nation-building," Annamalai said in a tweet.

The Shivamogga MLA had resigned as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister last year following Belagavi-based contractor Santosh Patil's suicide in an Udupi hotel.

The contractor had accused Eshwarappa of demanding a 40 percent commission. The BJP leader was later cleared by the police in the contractor suicide case.

The veteran legislator has often been at the centre of controversies due to his unfiltered statements.

Last month, his comments about the azaan being played from mosques had sparked a controversy. He asked whether "Allah is deaf" that loudspeakers were required to call him.

"This (azaan) is a headache for me, wherever I go I have the same problem. Does Allah hear prayers only if one screams on a microphone? Is Allah deaf? I have no doubt there will be an end to this soon as there is a Supreme Court judgement. PM Modi has asked us to respect all religions, but I must ask can Allah hear only if you scream on a microphone? This issue must be resolved soon," Eshwarappa commented.

"Even we Hindus pray in temples, recite shlokas and sing bhajans, we have more faith than them and it is Bharat Mata who protects religions, but if you say that Allah listens only if you pray with a microphone I must question if he's deaf. It is not needed, this issue must be resolved", he said.

Eshwarappa, along with Yediyurappa, had played a vital role in building the BJP as a strong political force in Karnataka.

The BJP has unveiled its initial list of 189 candidates for the May 10 assembly elections. The party held marathon meetings to finalise candidates.

Reports suggest many sitting MLAs have been dropped and defectors from Congress and Janata Dal Secular, who helped install a BJP government, will be rewarded.