'I do not fear expulsion': KS Eshwarappa announces decision to contest Lok Sabha elections independently

After being expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday announced decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Karnataka's Shivamogga.

"I have decided to contest as a non-party candidate, I still have hope, I do not fear any expulsion. I will contest elections and win and will go back to BJP again. I have competed five times with the lotus sign," ANI quoted Eshwarappa as saying.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expelled him from the party and stated that KS Eshwarappa has "embarrassed" the party by going to the polls as an independent candidate.


Shivamogga will go to the polls on May 7 in phase 3.

"BJP expelled KS Eshwarappa from the party for 6 years for embarrassing the party by contesting as an Independent from Shivamogga constituency," the Karnataka BJP had said.

Former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate from Shivamogga on April 12.

Three Independent candidates, who had filed nomination papers for the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat, withdrew their papers on Monday. With that, 23 people including former BJP Minister K.S. Eshwarappa have remained in the fray.

Monday was the last day to withdraw the papers.

The candidates who are in the fray are 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, A.D. Shivappa of Bahujan Samaj Party.

Independent candidates are KS Eshwarappa, G Jayadeva, EH Nayak, Chandrashekhar HC, Bandi, Sandesh Shetty A, DS Eshwarappa, P Sripathi Bhat, Imtiyaz Attar, Ravi Kumar N, Pooja N Annaiah, Suresh Poojari, Shivarudraiah Swamy, John Benny, Ganesh B., Kunaje Manjunatha Gowda and NV Naveen Kumar.

(With inputs from ANI)