Reddy meets Shah; were there talks of merger?

New Delhi:  Mining baron and Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP) chief Gali Janardhana Reddy on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here.

Though what transpired between them was not known officially, sources close to Reddy said that Shah asked him to merge his party with the BJP or extend support to saffron party candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“Following his invitation, I met Shahji. We both discussed several issues related to Karnataka. I am happy with the meeting,” Reddy posted on social media platform X, after the meeting.  

Reddy, in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls, extended support to the Congress candidate.

Earlier, he had expressed his willingness to have a pre-poll alliance with the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

BJP Bellary Lok Sabha candidate and former minister B Sriramulu has been trying to woo Reddy for some time now. Since Reddy has considerable influence among voters in Ballari, Raichur and Koppal, the saffron party believes his support will help the party candidates garner more votes.

Sriramulu, one-time close friend of Reddy, recently said that he had requested Shah to re-induct Reddy into BJP.

Reddy, also a former minister, maintained a low profile after he went to jail in the illegal mining cases.

In the last Assembly polls, he floated KRPP, contested from Gangavathi and won.