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It’s a second homecoming for mining baron and Gangavati MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy in the BJP; a decision he claims was made in the “nation’s interest” and to “secure a hat-trick for Prime Minister Narendra Modi” in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
“Modi is our mantra and he is the true Vishwaguru… I am happy to be back home. BJP is in my blood, and nothing gives me more happiness than returning to the place I truly belong to,” said Reddy in an interview to News18 shortly after his official rejoining ceremony.
Reddy described his decision as “vital for the nation”, aiming to contribute towards the BJP’s success in Karnataka and bolster Prime Minister Modi’s poll pitch, potentially inching closer to the 400-seat mark in the Lok Sabha.
“My sole objective is to ensure that Modi ji is re-elected for the third time. This time, it will be a hat-trick for him. The whole world is looking towards our country and PM Modi is responsible for this. I want to do my work as a party worker and ensure a solid win for our leader,” he added.
Reddy also merged his two-year-old party, the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP), with the BJP. The KRPP was launched in 2022 after Reddy’s split from the saffron party, severing a political relationship spanning over two decades.
“I see a very positive situation for the BJP in the country as well as within the party. Yes, I have merged my party as this is where I am meant to be,” Reddy said. “I had left the party due to certain reasons. But today, it feels like returning to my mother’s lap, filled with love. It doesn’t feel like I am re-entering the BJP karyalaya after 13 years.”
Reddy’s homecoming is anticipated to transfer his political influence over districts such as Ballari, Koppal, Chitradurga, and Bagalkote to the BJP, which the party hopes will boost electoral prospects in the parliamentary polls.
The middle brother of the famous Reddy trio from Karnataka’s mine-rich Ballari, Janardhana Reddy re-entered active politics just before the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections after a 12-year hiatus. Arrested in a multi-crore illegal mining case in 2011, Reddy has largely maintained a low profile since his release on bail in 2015, with several court-imposed restrictions.
What stirred controversy in 2018 was Reddy sharing the dais with BS Yediyurappa and then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alongside the BJP candidate for Molkalmuru, Sriramulu, during the Assembly elections. Sriramulu, a former BJP minister, is a close associate of the Reddys.
Janardhana Reddy was seen quietly campaigning for Sriramulu while sitting in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Chitradurga district a few kilometres from Ballari, adhering to the court ruling of staying away from the Ballari district itself.
The BJP distanced itself from Reddy after his arrest. Asked about Reddy’s association with the party, then BJP national president Amit Shah had responded: “The BJP has nothing to do with Janardhana Reddy.”
Reddy recently met Amit Shah, now the Union Home Minister, in New Delhi before his readmission into the BJP.
Clearly, Reddy retains the support and blessings of senior BJP leader and parliamentary board member BS Yediyurappa, despite his revolt against him in 2009.
“Janardhana Reddy and others have rejoined the BJP, and in my opinion, it is a very good decision that he has taken. This will strengthen our party,” Yediyurappa remarked.
Addressing claims that he had accused the BJP of betrayal leading to the formation of his own party, Reddy clarified: “I did not say that the BJP betrayed me. I said some people did, and now all that is in the past. I am back as a humble worker, with the intent to honestly work for the BJP.”
Interestingly, in the recently held Rajya Sabha elections, Janardhana Reddy had extended his support to Congress candidate Ajay Maken.
BJP insiders reveal Reddy had been actively communicating with the party’s central leadership since December about his interest in returning to the fold. He, however, faced stiff resistance from certain quarters within the state and central units of the party.
Unable to secure a BJP ticket, Reddy had decided to form his own party in 2022 and won the Gangavati seat in the 2023 elections. His wife Aruna contested on the party symbol in Ballari, but lost the election.
Having established themselves as successful iron ore exporters, Reddy, along with his brothers, Karunakara and Somashekhar, found their political calling in the early 1990s when senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj contested from the Ballari Lok Sabha seat in 1999 against Congress president Sonia Gandhi. At the time, Ballari, known earlier as Bellary, was a Congress stronghold, posing a challenge to Swaraj.
The Reddy brothers, sons of a police constable, worked tirelessly for Swaraj, whom they affectionately called ‘thayee’ (mother in Kannada), to ensure a win.
Though Swaraj lost, her political campaign had impressed many in Ballari. Janardhana Reddy’s involvement paved the way for the brothers to take control of the region, and the mining family played a pivotal role in building the BJP from ground zero, adding a significant number of seats to the party kitty.
Janardhana Reddy, known for his opulent lifestyle, including owning a fleet of luxury cars and a helicopter, had faced severe backlash when he hosted a lavish wedding allegedly worth Rs 500 crore for his daughter Brahmani at the peak of demonetization in 2016.
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