Truce: Eshwarappa to lead OBC wing, told to stay off Rayanna brigade

Bengaluru, Jan 28: BJP national president Amit Shah on Friday night brokered peace between BS Yeddyurappa and KS Eshwarappa. The party has asked Eshwarappa to stay away from the Sangolli Rayanna brigade and vested him with the activities of the party's OBC wing.

After a dinner meeting at Shah's residence in New Delhi, party national general secretary Muralidhar Rao said: "Eshwarappa has been made the prabhari of the BJP's OBC morchas. All the community rallies will be organized by the BJP's OBC morcha. In turn, no BJP leader will be associated with any brigade." A source from the Yeddy urappa camp said: "Shah wanted to put an early end to the dispute. He did not want Yeddyurappa to be constrained by factional issues in the party." Shah reportedly warned the leaders against indulging in internal squabbles and advised them to focus on the forthcoming elections.

Though yanked out of the Rayanna brigade -a pet project for more than six months -Eshwarappa emerged from the meeting happy. He said: "I've been made the OBC prabhari. The tiff with Yeddyurappa is history."

The Shivamogga leader said he would continue to support the brigade, albeit apolitically. "I've been asked not to get involved with the brigade politically. So I will be with the organization as a social worker," he added.

The truce has dislodged Arvind Limbavali as OBC leader, hinting at a reshuffle of the party's office bearers.Asked if his demand for a rejig had been met, Eshwarappa said: "Shah says it will be looked into."