Former Karnataka Minister and mining magnate Gali Janardhan Reddy ended his two-decade association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday and announced the formation of a new party called “Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha” ahead of the Karnataka election next year.
The politician, whose home district is Bellari, has also declared that he will run for office in the state elections from Gangavathi in the Koppal district. He added that the party’s flag and logo will be unveiled in the next 10 to 15 days.
In November 2015, a state Lokayukta Special Investigation Team detained Reddy for his involvement in the illegal export of iron ore from the Belekeri port.
The Supreme Court granted him bail in 2015 with several conditions, including a prohibition on his travel to Ananthpur and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, as well as Ballari in Karnataka, the alleged mining site.
In November 2018, Reddy was arrested for the fourth time in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme, but a magistrate’s court granted him bail on the grounds that the police had not presented enough evidence.
According to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who was responding to the political development, no regional party has ever been successful in the state. Former Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar, a senior BJP leader, stated that he will consult with party leaders to assess the impact.
The state Congress president, DK Shivakumar, congratulated him, and HD Kumaraswamy, the leader of the Janata Dal (Secular), said the former minister’s decision was expected.
G Karunakara Reddy and G Somashekar Reddy are Reddy’s brothers who currently serve as BJP MLAs in the Harapanahalli and Bellary Assembly constituencies.
