Kalyana Karnataka Pragathi Paksha MLA and controversial mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy announced his decision to rejoin BJP on Monday. He was earlier associated with the BJP for over a decade.
The decision comes following a meeting of his supporters at his residence here on Sunday and earlier backchannel talks with party leaders.
Former Minister and BJP Minister Govind Karjol was among those who met Mr. Reddy on Sunday. He will rejoin the saffron party in the presence of BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, party Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal and co in-charge Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy.
He is currently the sole legislator from the Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha after winning from Gangavati constituency in the May 2023 Assembly elections.
“I am happy to announce that I will be going back to my mother. My supporters from Chitradurga, Koppal, Ballari, Raichur, Vijayanagara, and Kalaburagi districts will join the BJP with me tomorrow,” Mr. Reddy told reporters and added that he wanted to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that he had been associated with the BJP through the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Mr. Reddy shot to prominence during the 1999 general elections when former Union Minister the late Sushma Swaraj took on Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in Ballari, which the BJP leader lost.
Mr. Reddy, however, did not disclose about the future of his party, and if he would merge it with the BJP.
Mr. Reddy, who was instrumental in the installation of the first BJP government --- headed by B.S. Yediyurappa --- for the first time in South India, was accused of using money power to execute ‘Operation Lotus.
Since his arrest in September 2011 over his alleged involvement in the illegal mining scandal in Ballari, the BJP had distanced itself from him.
Mr. Reddy has been out on bail since 2015. He made attempts to get back into BJP in 2018 and also before the 2023 Assembly elections. After his attempts failed, he launched his party in 2022 and party candidates contested mainly from constituencies around Ballari.
His re-entry into the BJP was being talked about for some time, but his participation in the BJP protest on the saffron flag issue at Keragodu in Mandya district further fuelled speculation. He, however, was believed to have voted for the Congress candidate during the recently held Raja Sabha elections. However, Mr. Reddy said that it was a media creation that he voted for Congress. “All that I had said was I voted as per my conscience. I never said I voted for Congress. BJP flows in my blood.”
Mr. Reddy’s comeback is expected to boost BJP’s prospects in constituencies around Ballari, especially the fortunes of BJP candidate from Ballari B. Sriramulu. “Mr. Sriramulu grew up in our home and he is like my child. Mr. Yediyurappa is a father figure for me,” Mr. Reddy said.
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