Mining baron and Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha MLA G. Janardhana Reddy on March 25 merged his party with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and formally rejoined the saffron party along with his wife Aruna Lakshmi and other followers.
Though Mr. Reddy had formally quit the BJP by floating his own political outfit in December 2022 ahead of the previous Assembly elections, in reality he had disassociated himself from the BJP for more than a decade, ever since legal issues related to mining had impacted his political position and relations with the party.
Mr. Reddy remarked soon after rejoining the party in the presence of veteran leader B.S. Yediyurappa, flanked by his old associate and MP candidate from Ballari and former Minister B. Sriramulu. “Looking at my friends and well-wishers here, I do not feel that I am coming to BJP office after 13 years. In fact, I feel as though I had gone out of this office just yesterday and returning today.”
It is learnt that the BJP leadership had engaged in a series of meetings with Mr. Reddy in the last one week to woo him.
Indicating this, Mr. Reddy, who is the sole MLA from his political outfit, said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had invited him to Delhi to meet him and offered an invitation to join the party instead of providing an outside support.
Making it clear that his joining the BJP or merging his party with the BJP was completely “unconditional”, Mr. Reddy said, “I have come to the BJP solely to work towards realising the dream of a large number of people that Narendra Modi should become prime minister again.”
He said, “The god and the BJP have given me all I could ask for at a young age. I have seen all the ups and downs in life. Now I do not need any position. I will work as an ordinary party worker and handle whatever the responsibility the party gives me.”
Known as a strategist, Mr. Reddy rejoining the BJP is believed to help the party particularly in the areas in and around Ballari which is his home district.
Welcoming Mr. Reddy into the party, BJP State President B. Y. Vijayendra said his re-entry had boosted the party’s strength.
Meanwhile, Mr. Thomas John, son of Congress leader and former minister T. John, also joined the BJP on Monday.
Responding to Mr. Reddy’s re-entry into the BJP, Labour Minister Santosh Lad referred to the mining controversies and cases, and said, “Once a person joins the BJP, irrespective of the controversies, he or she becomes all washed and cleaned up.”
