Bangalore: Sriramulu to Quit BJP, Launch New Party?

Bangalore, Sep 3 (DHNS): Former health minister B Sriramulu seems set to resign from the BJP on Sunday as a precursor to launching a regional party.

The move is apparently backed by his close associates, Reddy brothers - Janardhana and Karunakara.

According to sources in the Reddy camp, Janardhana Reddy is cut up with the party because supporters of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa scuttled the chances of anyone from the Reddy camp becoming a minister, despite BJP national leader Arun Jaitley giving green signal to the State unit to give a ministerial berth to Sriramulu.

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, during his last visit to Delhi, had announced that he had no problem inducting the Reddys into the Cabinet, if the Central leadership so wishes.

On the irregularities committed by the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) of Janardhana Reddy, the Lokayukta report has recommended that besides the two Reddys, Sriramulu may also be dropped from the State cabinet.

Jaitley, it is said, has stated that as Sriramulu had resigned as a director of OMC in 2008 itself and there was only a passing reference to him in the mining report, he could be considered for ministership. Karunakara Reddy is learnt to be pressuring the party that he should be back as minister in case Sriramulu manages to re-enter the Cabinet.

If sources in Bellary are to be believed, Sriramulu will resign on September 5 as MLA and on the same day, a party under the banner BSR (B Sriramulu) party would come into existence.

The Reddys’ erstwhile business partner Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who has rebelled against the Congress, has floated the YSR Congress party. It is not yet clear whether Sriramulu too would suffix the BJP tag to the name of the proposed party.

Supporters

Sources said the Reddys had the backing of their supporters in the Assembly and the panchayats for the new venture. Some BJP Bellary MLAs, who could be nominees of the new party in the elections and may even win because of the Reddys’ clout, may also put in their papers, along with Sriramulu.

This would build pressure on the BJP, in particular Sadananda Gowda. The ruling BJP has 121 members in the Assembly, including the Speaker, in a house of 225 members.

The support of 113 members is required for a majority. Gowda and State party president K S Eshwarappa may be forced to accommodate one or two MLAs from Bellary in case the party’s very survival in power becomes untenable.

The Reddys, who have been encashing the popular image of Sriramulu for their political advantage, are trying to push Sriramulu to bargain with the party. On Friday, Sriramulu visited Hubli and Gadag where he gave an impression that he may hobnob with the JD(S). But at the end of the day, he just said that he would not join the JD(S), though he did not say he would not quit the BJP.

He also expressed displeasure over the ‘manner’ in which he had been treated by the BJP. There were also rumours that Sriramulu may contest as an independent candidate from Koppal.

Apparently, Sriramulu told his associates that there was no option but to float a new party to remain in politics. But BJP MLAs of Bellary district, M S Somalingappa, Anand Singh and Nemiraj Naik, have decided to maintain a distance from the Reddys.

In case the Reddys indulge in anti-party activities, the Central leadership may decide to strip the youngest of the Reddy brothers, Somashekara Reddy, of the chairmanship of KMF. Siraj Sheik, a close associate of the Reddys, may lose the post of the chairman of Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation.