Ramesh Jarkiholi denies he is trying to bring Eshwarappa back into BJP

BJP leader and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has denied that he is trying to bring ousted leader K.S. Eshwarappa back into the party.

“I am not involved in any such effort. I am not a big leader to decide on such things. I do not have that authority. The party high command expelled Mr. Eshwarappa and it should decide on taking him back. I have not spoken to him about this issue,” Mr. Jarkiholi said.

He was responding to queries from reporters in Gokak about the meeting held in the residence of Mr. Eshwarappa by some BJP leaders.

“Yesterday, I was returning to Bengaluru from Mumbai when Basanagouda Patil Yatnal invited me to Mr. Eshwarappa’s house. I did not know MLA Rajugouda (Narasimha Nayak) was there too. If I had known, I would not have gone there,” he said.

He said that the leaders who had assembled there were discussing issues like getting reservation facility for their communities.

“But party politics was not discussed. I can say that confidently. I was just sitting and listening. But Rajugouda made such insulting remarks against the party and some leaders. If party State unit president B.Y. Vijayendra comes to know what he spoke, he would beat him up,” he said.

“Rajugouda is always identified as a follower of B.S. Yediyurappa. He has not revealed before the media about the discussions held in the meeting. He has said something else there. That is all we know,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said.