Former Karnataka minister and illegal mining accused ‘G Janardhan Reddy’ has rejoined BJP after merging his party Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The 57-year-old politician is accused in nine CBI cases related to illegal mining during the BJP’s government in Karnataka from 2008 to 2013.
The move is seen as an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to counter the losses suffered in some districts of northern Karnataka in the 2023 state elections due to the KRPP. At present, Reddy is the only MLA from KRPP in the state.
“Amit Shah told me that the question of external support does not arise. He reminded me that my political birth was in the BJP and asked me to return to the party,” said Reddy, who had previously left the BJP “due to unavoidable situations.”
After merging the KRPP with the BJP on Monday, Reddy told reporters that he had offered to support the BJP but the Union Home Minister insisted on a merger.
Notably, Reddy has 20 pending criminal cases against him, as per his poll affidavit filed for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls. Out of the 20 cases, nine cases are being investigated by the CBI in the illegal mining scam.
How Reddy rose to the ranks
G. Janardhan Reddy’s image as a mining tycoon rose during BJP’s success in Ballari, Raichur, and Koppal districts in north Karnataka from 2004 to 2013 before an illegal mining scandal tarnished the Reddy’s mining empire.
During the BJP’s tenure in Karnataka from 2008 to 2013, Reddy and his brothers, G Somashekara Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy were elected as MLA and MP respectively. They gained notoriety for allegedly illegally extracting iron ore from forests and mines, leading to an illegal mining scam that led to their downfall.
Reddy’s involvement in illegal mining
An investigation by the Karnataka Lokayukta in 2010-11 revealed illegal iron ore exports worth over Rs 12,228 crore from Karnataka between 2006 and 2011 by a mining mafia allegedly operated by Janardhan Reddy.
Janardhan Reddy’s role in illegal mining was exposed by the Karnataka Lokayukta, leading to his arrest by the CBI in September 2011. Reddy was imprisoned for nearly a year in 2011. During that time, BJP distanced itself from Janaradhan Reddy, while maintaining association with his brothers and Sreeramulu. Reddy formally left the BJP in 2022 to form KRPP, which was seen as an attempt to assert his political relevance to the BJP.