There was a time when K.S. Eshwarappa and B.S. Yeddyurappa were inseparable friends, climbing up the RSS ladder the slow, hard way and toiling to build the BJP in Shimoga. Today, they are arch rivals with BSY making the best of any opportunity to spit fire on the Kuruba leader and Eshwarappa, now deputy CM in the state cabinet, deriding him for his efforts to break the BJP. Being the party state president, Mr Eshwarappa knows he can’t go all the way and has to play a balancing act while handling the political crisis in the BJP, which has grown worse after Mr Yeddyurappa hinted at floating his own outfit. Not Yeddyurappa, who has gone hammer and tongs at his former associate, announcing that he will not share the dais with the party chief anymore. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Mr Eshwarappa spoke about the Yeddyurappa issue, the unrest in the state over Cauvery water and political developments.

Excerpts:

It seems former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is angry with you and has levelled serious allegations saying he will not share the dais with you. What went wrong?
I know he is hurt. He has accused me of being responsible for sending him to jail and of preventing him from getting a key post in the party. He has been saying different things at different times. I cannot reply to all the allegations he has been making against me nor am I eager to respond to them.

Every time BJP faced a major crisis, you would appear before the media and dismiss it as insignificant. Now that Mr Yeddyurappa has one foot out of the BJP, do you admit you are in a crisis?
It is not certain if Mr Yeddyurappa will remain in the party or not. Whatever happens, party workers will continue to work for BJP. They respect the party and senior leaders who built it. We have a system in place, we do not bother who joins or quits. Those who believe BJP will rise to the expectation of people and strive for national integration, will support us. Those who put their egos before self and declare that they are the only ones who built the party, will face problems.

At a recent event in Chikmagalur, Mr Yeddyurappa defended Operation Lotus and claimed that it was only because of the political coup he engineered that the BJP got leaders with administrative experience with those who came from the RSS not matching up. What do you feel?
The support of those from a non-RSS background, helped the BJP gain power in Karnataka. Some of them have adjusted to party principles and the ideology and have become an asset for us. But there are some who are creating turmoil and we are keeping a close watch on them. We are considering what action should be taken against them. We will show them their place.

Your party changed a Chief Minister because of Mr Yeddyurappa’s pressure, replacing Sadananda Gowda with Jagadish Shettar. In spite of that, he is threatening to quit BJP. Do you repent giving in to his pressure tactics?
Our national leaders are monitoring his statements. They will take firm steps at a suitable time.

MrYeddyurappa says he is ready to form a political party. What is your reaction?
I can’t react to all his moves. He can say anything at any time. It is none of my business to meddle in his affairs. He is free to take his decision.

Then why did the party postpone the process of appointing the BJP state president?
BJP national leaders will start the process of appointing a new state president when they feel the need to do it. Till then, they have asked me to continue in the post.

According to you, what are Mr Yeddyurappa’s demands?
I’m not in a position to say anything about Mr Yeddyurappa. This is something the national leaders have to deal with. Why should I speak on matters I am not related to at all?

What will happen to BJP if Mr Yeddyurappa decides to quit?
Our national leaders have the ability to build the party stronger and tackle challenges sensibly. We are committed to whatever decisions they take. There will be no special effect on the BJP if Mr Yeddyurappa departs.

Going by the present trends, the BJP may not get even half of the seats it won in the last assembly poll in 2008. You also have to contend with the BSR Congress of B. Sreeramulu, the proposed party of Yeddyurappa, the Congress and JD(S)?
The BJP was built by party workers. People like and supported the party which is why we came to power. There will be no setback in future even if we have to fight new parties. We are confident of getting more than 150 seats in the polls.

After Mr Jagadish Shettar assumed power, there have been several problems and now we have the Cauvery row. If Karnataka had initially agreed to release 9000 cusecs as per the order of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA), do you think the Supreme Court would have considered the state’s prayer for reducing the quantum sympathetically?
The order of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu is the main reason for the present outburst. The PM should have consulted experts on how much water Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have. He should have sent an expert team to review the availability of water but the team arrived after the order to release water was issued. To please Tamil Nadu for political gain, the Centre put the people of Karnataka in dire straits. The central team should give its report soon and allow us to stop release of water as there is severe scarcity in the state due to the poor monsoon.

Don’t you feel we should have approached the apex court before Tamil Nadu did? The Cauvery issue has exposed the inefficiency of the BJP government.
Courts do not decide on an issue based on who goes in appeal first. We have appealed against the order to release water to TN and we are confident the court will come to our rescue. As for Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar’s walkout from the CRA meeting, he did this when the Prime Minister ordered Karnataka to release water in a hurry.

What do you have to say about the allegations made by senior leader Dhananjay Kumar against Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on the Cauvery issue?
The party has served a notice on him and asked him to reply in a week. Based on his reply we will take a decision.

What about the BJP’s prospects in the election to the president and vice president posts in the Shimoga Zilla Panchayat scheduled for Monday. BJP ZP members are on tour to avoid pressure.
The BJP will definitely triumph. The ZP members have been taken on a tour because some of them are new to the party’s ideology and have to be educated on the BJP’s principles.