In a significant political move, G Janardhana Reddy, the former Karnataka Minister and prominent figure in the mining sector, has reentered the political arena by rejoining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in anticipation of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Having previously established the 'Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha' (KRPP) ahead of the state assembly elections last year, Reddy has now reunited with the BJP, effectively ending his two-decade-long detachment from the party. Alongside his wife Aruna Lakshmi and other family members, Reddy formally merged the KRPP with the BJP during a ceremony attended by key party figures including veteran leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, state President B Y Vijayendra, among others.
Reddy's recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi hinted at his intentions to realign himself within the political landscape. Notably, despite his BJP affiliation, Reddy had extended support to a Congress candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
Reddy's political journey has seen its share of ups and downs, notably marked by his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over allegations related to an illegal mining scandal, leading to a period of relative political inactivity spanning nearly twelve years. However, he briefly resurfaced prior to the 2018 assembly elections to support his close associate B Sriramulu's campaign in the Molakalmuru Assembly segment.
The BJP's stance on Reddy has been somewhat tumultuous, with then-national president Amit Shah distancing the party from him ahead of the 2018 assembly polls. Despite being embroiled in a multi-crore illegal mining case and subject to various legal restrictions, Reddy has continued to wield influence, particularly in the Ballari district and neighboring regions, which could prove advantageous for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Reddy's involvement in the mining sector has been marred by controversy, including allegations against him and his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy, the managing director of Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC), regarding illegal mining activities spanning Karnataka's Ballari district and Andhra Pradesh's Anantpur district.
His foray into politics traces back to the 1999 Lok Sabha elections when he campaigned for the late Sushma Swaraj, a BJP leader who contested against Congress' Sonia Gandhi from Ballari, thus marking his initial emergence onto the political stage.
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