Excise minister MP Renukacharya’s loyalty to former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has landed him in trouble again.
His statement giving full credit to Yeddyurappa for BJP’s victory in Koppal by-election has invited the wrath of party president KS Eshwarappa.
“It seems a few persons like Renukacharya do not understand our mild language, they need to be told in appropriate language to mend their ways. I will do that. I will make him understand,” said Eshwarappa expressing his serious displeasure at Renukacharya’s statement that BJP won in Koppal only because of Yeddyurappa’s leadership.
Celebrating the Koppal victory on Thursday, Renukacharya said: “The credit for victory should go solely to Yeddyurappa and not the collective leadership. Though chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, party state president Eshwarappa and others campaigned for the by-poll, it was Yeddyurappa who camped in the constituency and led the battle. The verdict in Koppal is for Yeddyurappa government’s achievements in the last three years.”
Reaffirming his view, Renukacharya said on Friday that Yeddyurappa should be allowed to lead the party in all elections in future if BJP wanted to win them. Only Yeddyurappa could ensure victory for the party.
This is the second time Renukacharya has rubbed the party leadership the wrong way. He was rebuked by Eshwarappa before the start of the Koppal by-poll campaign. He and BJP member of Lok Sabha DB Chandre Gowda were then pulled up for their statements that only Yeddyurappa could lead the party to victory in Koppal by-poll. “I had warned Renukacharya against such utterances in public which would show the party in bad light.
BJP is opposed to projecting any individual as bigger than the organisation,” Eshwarappa said.
