Somashekhar Reddy hints at BSR merger with BJP

Bellary: Announcing his support for the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections; KMF president and BSR Congress leader Gali Somashekhar Reddy hinted at his party’s merger with the BJP ahead of the polls.

“The BJP is my parent party, there is nothing wrong in merging BSR Congress with BJP”, said Reddy adding that party founder president B. Sriramulu will take a final decision on the matter.

Participating in the  “Run for Unity', which seeks to drum up support for Gujarat Chief Minister Modi’s favourite 'Statue of unity' project, on the 63rd death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel here on Sunday morning; Reddy said that he along with his supporters would work to ensure that Modi becomes  Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha polls. Earlier, MLC Mruthyunjaya Jinaga who is identified with BSR Congress, advised Sriramulu to return to the BJP.

The once powerful Reddy brothers and their confidante Sriramulu quit the BJP in 2011 to float BSR Congress. The party failed to perform upto expectations in the 2013 assembly general elections, winning only four seats and securing a three per cent vote share denying them the status of a regional party.

Sources said that Sriramulu is struggling to run the show after the arrest of his mentor Gali Janardhan Reddy by CBI in connection with the illegal iron ore mining scam and is reportedly mulling merging his party with BJP or Samajwadi Party.

They said senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj is blocking their re-entry into the BJP following their indictment by several investigation agencies in connection with the mining scam.