The leaked audio is of a conversation between Eshwarappa and Gopal Ji, a well known RSS leader in Ayodhya, who is driving the construction of the Bal Ram temple in the hallowed township. In the audio, Gopal Ji can be heard clearly instructing the Kuruba leader to go ahead and contest from Shivamogga, against Yediyurappa's son and three time BJP MP, B.Y. Raghavendra in the coming parliamentary election. Eshwarappa is being seen as having leaked the tape.

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On Sunday, both state and national BJP leaders had already been left red-faced as the Kuruba leader kept them waiting in his house for over an hour while he did the disappearing act.

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The leak of the audio has given some room for suspicion that the audio leak, following the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences  (POCSO) charges that have been levelled against Yeddyurappa, may be a planned move by the BJP to cut Yeddyurappa to size.

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In the purported audio, Gopal Ji is heard reportedly asking why he (Eshwarappa) wants to contest and after hearing his side of the story, the RSS leader can be heard asking him to go ahead and contest as an independent candidate against the sitting MP B.Y.Raghavendra in the Shivamogga seat, to "cleanse the party".

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The audio leak has raised questions over its authenticity as Gopal Ji reportedly never interacts with any individual and giving such a direction to a 'rebel' would definitely harm the prospects of the BJP in the coming parliamentary polls as it would undermine the Lingayat leader's hold over the Lingayat community, which it relies on to the exclusion of virtually every other, for victory at the hustings.

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This has raised suspicion that the audio could be doctored, a source said. Others said, it could be the real thing, as Gopal Ji may not be familiar with the cut and thrust of the politics of Shivamogga.

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On Sunday,  Radhamohan Agarwal, who is incharge of Karnataka affairs, had come down to Shivamogga to meet Eshwarappa along with other state leaders to convince him to see reason. After welcoming them, the former minister asked them to sit inside the house, and then vanished.

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After waiting for over an hour for him to return, the senior BJP leader left the place, reportedly furious. Later, Eshwarappa came back and told media that he purposely gave the meeting a miss, as they would have forced him to reconsider his decision of contesting against Raghavendra. Since he had already taken a decision in this regard, he did not want to go back on it.  Eshwarappa's rigid stance has irked the party leaders with one of them saying " does he now expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come personally to his house to convince him?"

On Monday, Modi arrived in Shivamogga to campaign for Raghavendra and was welcomed by every leader of the district barring Eshwarappa, a once loyal soldier of the saffron party who had adhered to the party line all these years.

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Unlike many others, he did not follow Yediyurappa when he quit BJP and floated a new regional party. Whether his rebellion will leave him isolated or boost his son, K.E.Kantesh's place in Shivamogga's shifting political sands, remains to be seen.