<p>Lodged in Hyderabad’s Chanchalaguda jail since Sep 5, Reddy is fielding his associate and former health minister B. Sriramulu as an independent candidate in the Nov 30 by-poll to the Bellary rural assembly seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Bellary is about 300 km from here.<br /><br />The by-poll follows Sriramulu quitting the assembly in September claiming his ‘image’ was damaged by the then Lokayukta (ombudsman) N. Santosh Hegde indicting him in an illegal mining scam.<br /><br />However, the real reason for him to leave the assembly was said to be his unhappiness at not being made a minister in the D.V. Sadananda Gowda cabinet that succeeded the B.S. Yeddyurappa ministry Aug 4.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa quit July 31 after Hegde recommended his trial for corruption in the illegal mining case.<br /><br />Hegde had also indicted Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother G. Karunakara. <br /><br />Karunakara was also not made a minister again nor anyone else whom Janardhana Reddy wanted, leaving the brothers fuming.<br /><br />Sriramulu, who met Janardhana Reddy in the Chanchalaguda jail Tuesday, announced in Bellary Wednesday that he will contest the Nov 30 bypoll as an independent.<br /><br />He was flanked by his sister J. Shanta, a BJP Lok Sabha member and Janardhana’s younger brother G. Somashekara Reddy, a BJP assembly member.<br /><br />In a clever attempt, Somashekara Reddy appealed to the BJP not to field a party candidate against Sriramulu.<br /><br />However, the BJP is unlikely to agree to Somashekara’s appeal and is expected to announce its candidate later Wednesday.<br /><br />In Bangalore, state BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa told reporters that Sriramulu has the freedom to take any decision.<br /><br />“I have not heard from him on his decision (to contest as an independent). The party will take a decision soon on fielding a candidate,” he said.<br /><br />Eshwarappa also said that if Sriramulu files nomination papers as an independent, he faces expulsion from the party.<br /></p>
<p>Lodged in Hyderabad’s Chanchalaguda jail since Sep 5, Reddy is fielding his associate and former health minister B. Sriramulu as an independent candidate in the Nov 30 by-poll to the Bellary rural assembly seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Bellary is about 300 km from here.<br /><br />The by-poll follows Sriramulu quitting the assembly in September claiming his ‘image’ was damaged by the then Lokayukta (ombudsman) N. Santosh Hegde indicting him in an illegal mining scam.<br /><br />However, the real reason for him to leave the assembly was said to be his unhappiness at not being made a minister in the D.V. Sadananda Gowda cabinet that succeeded the B.S. Yeddyurappa ministry Aug 4.<br /><br />Yeddyurappa quit July 31 after Hegde recommended his trial for corruption in the illegal mining case.<br /><br />Hegde had also indicted Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother G. Karunakara. <br /><br />Karunakara was also not made a minister again nor anyone else whom Janardhana Reddy wanted, leaving the brothers fuming.<br /><br />Sriramulu, who met Janardhana Reddy in the Chanchalaguda jail Tuesday, announced in Bellary Wednesday that he will contest the Nov 30 bypoll as an independent.<br /><br />He was flanked by his sister J. Shanta, a BJP Lok Sabha member and Janardhana’s younger brother G. Somashekara Reddy, a BJP assembly member.<br /><br />In a clever attempt, Somashekara Reddy appealed to the BJP not to field a party candidate against Sriramulu.<br /><br />However, the BJP is unlikely to agree to Somashekara’s appeal and is expected to announce its candidate later Wednesday.<br /><br />In Bangalore, state BJP chief K.S. Eshwarappa told reporters that Sriramulu has the freedom to take any decision.<br /><br />“I have not heard from him on his decision (to contest as an independent). The party will take a decision soon on fielding a candidate,” he said.<br /><br />Eshwarappa also said that if Sriramulu files nomination papers as an independent, he faces expulsion from the party.<br /></p>