Amid reports that he pitched for BJP national general secretary CT Ravi as the "next" chief minister of Karnataka, former state minister and senior party leader KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday denied making any statement to that effect.
KS Eshwarappa said he doesn't have the authority to decide the party's chief ministerial candidate. (HT PHOTO.)
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The senior BJP leader, who announced his decision to step away from electoral politics earlier, said CT Ravi is a "good leader" but a decision on the CM face is outside his domain.
He added that he doesn't have the authority to decide the party's chief ministerial candidate.
"CT Ravi is a good leader. He is doing very good work in Chikkamagaluru. I did not say anything about him being the next chief minister. I have no authority to make such a statement," Eshwarappa told ANI over the phone on Tuesday.
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However, he said that being a prominent leader from the Vokkaliga community, CT Ravi has all the qualities to become the future chief minister of the state.
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However, he said that being a prominent leader from the Vokkaliga community, CT Ravi has all the qualities to become the future chief minister of the state.
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According to reports, addressing party workers at a meeting in Nidaghatta near Chikkamagaluru, Eshwarappa said he hoped CT Ravi would be elected MLA by a huge margin and become the chief minister.
His alleged remark came a day after CT Ravi, himself, expressed his wish to become the chief minister.
Earlier, on Monday, Eshwarappa said the BJP does not want a single vote from the Muslim community in Shivamogga in the upcoming Karnataka elections.
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Addressing a Veerashaiva-Lingayat meeting in Shivamogga, Eshwarappa said, "We do not want even a single Muslim vote here. Nationalist Muslims will, however, vote for the BJP."
The Karnataka Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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Home/Cities/Bengaluru News/‘I have no power to decide’: Eshwarappa denies pitching CT Ravi as Karnataka CM
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