Reddy, set, go: One of 3 Ballari brothers rises from the ashes

BENGALURU: Former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy has risen like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes after his alleged involvement in illegal mining. Janardhana, seen as a liability for BJP after he spent two years in jail in connection with illegal mining cases in Karnataka and Andhra, has demonstrated his continued clout by ensuring that his proteges get tickets.
Not only did Janardhana ensure that his long-time confidant B Sriramulu got his due in BJP’s poll plans, he also made sure his other kin and loyalists got tickets from strongholds. While BJP is projecting Sriramulu as its Dalit face, the party fielded his younger brother G Somashekar Reddy from Ballari; Sanna Fakirappa, Sriramulu’s uncle from Ballari Rural; and T H Suresh Babu, Sreeramulu’s nephew, from Kampli.
Janardhana is also lobbying hard for a ticket for his nephew G Lallesh Reddy from BTM Layout in Bengaluru, where home minister R Ramalinga Reddy is contesting. His elder brother G Karunakara Reddy, who unsuccessfully contested from Harapannahalli in Davanagere, however, failed to make it to BJP’s first and second list, giving credence to reports of a fallout among the brothers. Sources, however, said Karunakara still has a chance, as BJP is yet to announce its Harapanahalli candidate.
After he walked out of jail on bail, Janardhana did try a political comeback and tried to contest from Kolar, a constituency dominated by the Reddy community and other Telugu-speaking people, as he was barred from entering Ballari district in Karnataka.
But the party did not heed his request. ST Subramanyam, a political commentator from Ballari who has closely seen the rise and fall of the Reddy brothers, said Janaradhana has a reason to keep his political clout intact, as he knows the return of the Siddaramaiah government will spell doom for him and his followers.
At the fag end of its tenure, the Congress government decided to reinvestigate the illegal mining and iron ore export scams soon after the CBI closed the cases against Reddy and his associates. “He’s using Sriramulu to the hilt as he has both caste and charisma on his side and has the ability to move up the political ladder, which Reddy clearly lacks. His priority is to ensure Sriramulu is made deputy CM if BJP wins,’’ Subramanyam added.
Though Sriramulu was not keen on contesting from Molakalmuru in Chitradurga district, a BJP senior claimed he opted to do so on a suggestion from Janaradhana, who felt it was strategically located to influence Valmiki Nayaka community in at least 15-20 seats spread over the districts of central and Hyderabad-Karnatak region. Sriramulu is a Valmiki Nayaka.