Bengaluru, Apr 7 (Reporter) Karnataka BJP President Vijayendra Yediyurappa on Sunday appealed to former Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa not to rebel against the party and to reconsider his stance from contesting against his brother BY Raghvendra from Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat. Throwing light on Eshwarappa's significant contributions to the party alongside other stalwarts like BS Yediyurappa and the late Ananth Kumar, Vijayendra urged him to put aside any grievances and focus on strengthening the party, especially given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's widespread popularity across the country. "Eshwarappa is a senior leader. I appeal to you that your contribution in building the party along with Yediyurappa and former Union Minister late Ananth Kumar is immense," he told reporters here. Vijayendra expressed confidence in his brother BY Raghavendra's ability to secure victory in Shivamogga and encouraged Eshwarappa to resolve any issues through dialogue with party leaders in Delhi. However, Eshwarappa remains defiant, citing alleged injustices within the party and a desire to challenge the dominance of what he perceives as a single family controlling key positions within the BJP in Karnataka. He asserted receiving overwhelming support from voters and is confident of his victory in the election. "The BJP is under the spell of 'father and sons' (Yediyurappa and Vijayendra). People told me they will vote me to free the party. I had never seen such an overwhelming response in my life. I am confident of my victory in this election," Eshawarappa said. His reference to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's refusal to meet him during a visit to Delhi suggests his perception that the party's central leadership tacitly supports his decision to contest against his brother and challenge the influence of Yediyurappa and his family in Karnataka's political landscape...////...