The rise and fall of Eshwarappa, the 'Rocky bhai' of K'taka politics

K.S. Eshwarappa, a frontline BJP leader in Karnataka who tendered his resignation on Friday following charges of abetment of suicide of a civil contractor who had accused him demanding bribe, has a similar story to that 'Rocky Bhai' from the film 'KGF Chapter 2'.

In the film, 'Rocky Bhai', played by actor Yash, does everything to become the richest man on earth to fulfil the wish of his mother.

Likewise, Eshwarappa, whose parents were daily wage labourers, was motivated by his mother's wish and went on to become one of the prominent politicians of the state.

Born in Bellary district, Eshwarappa's father Sharanappa and mother Basamma moved to Shivamogga in the early 1950s.

His parents worked as daily wage labourers in the Bhoopalam Areca mandi. Eshwarappa wanted to join his parents at work but his mother opposed the idea and asked him to get educated and earn a good name in the society.

She also wanted her son to become someone big in the society, said family sources.

Eshwarappa was introduced to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by Narasimha Murthy Iyengar, a prominent VHP leader from Shivamogga.

From being a student leader of the ABVP, he became the city unit chief of the BJP in Shivamogga and went to establish himself as a mass leader by defeating political heavyweight and then minister K.H. Srinivas in 1989 Assembly elections.

Till date, he has lost only once from the Shivamogga Assembly segment. He became the Deputy Chief Minister in the Jagadish Shettar cabinet in 2012. He was presently serving as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister in the Basavaraj Bommai government.

Eshwarappa has always been identified with BJP strongman B.S. Yediyurappa with whom he worked shoulder to shoulder to build the party in the state.

He also served as the state party chief twice. However, Eshwarappa was also known for his poignant and reckless comments throughout his political career.

In 2019, he had stoked a controversy by likening the post of the Deputy Chief Minister to film actor Aishwarya Rai, by saying: "There is no politician who is not interested (in becoming Dy CM). Youth, once they come of age, can seek Aishwarya Rao as their wife. But, there is only one of her."

Earlier in 2015, he had landed in trouble when he told a lady journalist while commenting on incidents of rape, "You are a woman, you are here now... If someone drags you and rapes you, we opposition people will be somewhere else. What can we do? You tell me what we need to do, we will do it."

A staunch supporter of Hindutva politics, his comments on religious fundamentalism drew national attention. Even BJP President J.P. Nadda had advised him to slow down after his comment on hoisting the saffron flag on the Red Fort recently.

Eshwarappa's resignation is the second jolt to the party as he is the second mass leader from the cabinet to step down from his post.

Last year, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who ensured the fall of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government and installed BJP in power, had to tender his resignation over his alleged role in a sex CD scandal.