Mining baron Janardhana Reddy announces new party, to contest 2023 Karnataka polls

Reddy had been by and large inactive politically for nearly 12 years now, since the time he was arrested by the CBI for his alleged role in the mining scam

Just four months to Assembly polls in Karnataka, former BJP leader and controversial mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy on Sunday floated his own party — Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha — and announced that he will contest from the Gangavati constituency in assembly elections next year.

With this, he ended months of speculation about floating his own party. This is widely interpreted as Reddy's second innings into politics. His announcement in Bengaluru came after an alleged snub from the BJP over his attempts to re-enter politics since 2018.

Addressing a press conference here at his plush flat in the city, Reddy said that this is his new political episode. “I am here to serve the people of Kalyana Karnataka region (Hyderabad-Karnataka region) and I will visit every household in the upcoming election,” he said.

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Sitting in front of the bust of late prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and a huge portrait of Basaveshwara, he said that if political parties try to divide people in the state and try to benefit from the consequences, it is not possible in Karnataka.

“The people of the state have always been and will be united. He said his party would follow the ideals of Basavanna and will fight against divisive politics based on caste and communal lines,” he said.

Stating that his goal was the development of the state, he said he would look into development issues in each of the 30 districts. He also announced that his wife Aruna would plunge into public life and travel across the state.

Ruling out any differences with his close aide and transport minister B Sreeramulu, Reddy claimed, “I have no rifts with anyone in the BJP. Sreeramulu has been by a close friend since childhood and we will continue to be on good terms,” he said.

Ever since Gali Janardhan Reddy was imprisoned on charges of illegal mining, speculation was rife about his differences with BJP leaders. He is accused in a multi-crore illegal mining case and has been out on bail since 2015. While granting bail, the court had also directed him to surrender his passport and not to leave the country without permission.

Accusing his party leaders and central leaders for not standing up for him during the crisis, he said only in times of need does one get to know who their friends are.

Recalling his troubled times when he was arrested, Reddy said, “Only (former chief ministers) B S Yediyurappa and Jagadish Shettar looked after my wife and children. No one turned up. When you are in good times, everyone will be around. Only in bad times will you know who your friends are.”

Pointing at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement ("BJP has nothing to do with Janardhana Reddy"), Reddy said, “In the scheme of politics, I do not know why he (Shah) made that statement or who had prompted him to make that statement. But nevertheless, I have moved on.”

About his close aide joining his party, the mining baron said that they are good friends and he wouldn’t pressurise anyone to join his outfit. “Let him take his decision,” he said.

Recalling his days with BJP, he said that he too was instrumental in bringing BJP to power in 2006 forming a coalition government with Janata Dal (S). “After this, I travelled across the state when JD(S) failed to keep its promise to BJP and strove hard to bring BJP to power on its own in 2008. But it was unfortunate that none stood by me when my family and I were in deep crisis,” he said.

Terming his relationship with Yediyurappa as that of a ‘father-son’, Reddy said the decision to launch the party was his personal decision and he had not discussed it with Yediyurappa. “I have been trapped in a political scheme and the launch of the new party is an effort to get out of that trap,“ he said.