Reddy’s party won’t impact BJP: K’taka transport minister B Sriramulu

Janardhana Reddy announced that he will contest the 2023 assembly polls from Gangavathi in Koppal district, outside his turf in Ballari. He said his party would follow the ideals of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and fight against divisive politics based on caste and communal lines

Bengaluru: Amid the buzz over Ballari mining baron Janardhana Reddy’s new political party poaching senior leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka transport minister B Sriramulu said that no leaders from the BJP, especially Reddy’s brothers and MLAs Somashekhar Reddy and Karunakar Reddy, would join the new party.

Sriramalu, who was a close confidant of Janardhana Reddy prior to his arrest in the mining case, said on Monday that Reddy’s brothers will not quit the BJP to join Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Party. “The two MLAs, minister Anand Singh and I will face the election as a united unit. The party would fight the poll on the basis of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor B S Yediyurappa. People don’t vote to look at my face or that of someone else (Reddy),” he told reporters here.

Janardhana Reddy announced that he will contest the 2023 assembly polls from Gangavathi in Koppal district, outside his turf in Ballari. He said his party would follow the ideals of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and fight against divisive politics based on caste and communal lines.

“Despite BJP leaders saying that I’m not a member of the party and have no relationship with it, the state and its people believed that I’m from that party. That belief has turned out to be false. Today I’m announcing Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha, with my thinking, with the thinking of Basavanna, which is against the divisive politics in the name of religion and caste,” Reddy said.

Reddy was politically inactive for nearly 12 years since he was arrested by the CBI in 2011 for his alleged role in the mining scam.

Reddy, accused in a multi-crore illegal mining case, has been out on bail since 2015, and several conditions were imposed by the apex court in its order, including prohibiting him from visiting Ballari and Anantapur and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. Recently in October, the Supreme Court allowed Reddy to visit Bellary and stay till November 6 to meet his daughter after he had sought permission.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said Reddy creating a new party wouldn’t make a difference to Congress’s prospects. “Everyone has the right to create a new party. Let them. The decision to support or not to support a party or its candidates is up to the people. Our campaign is not dependent on a new party formed or not. We will win on our own strength,” he said.

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