Badami warms up for Siddu vs Ramulu

HUBBALLI: Mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy's Man Friday and former minister B. Sriramulu will take on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Badami constituency though top leaders of BJP have kept his candidature under wraps on the second last day for submission of nomination papers on Monday. 

Sources in BJP said local leaders of the party received communication from general secretary in-charge of the state, P Muralidhar Rao, and Union minister Prakash Javadekar, about Mr Sriramulu's arrival in Badami on Tuesday to hand in his nomination papers. The former minister, who has also submitted his papers in Molakalmuru constituency, has been drafted by the party for Assembly polls because of his sway over voters belonging to Nayaka community (Scheduled Tribes). He and state unit president B S Yeddyurappa are two MPs cleared by central leaders to contest the Assembly polls scheduled for May 12. 

Sources said on Tuesday, Mr Sriramulu would arrive at noon, offer pooja at the temple of goddess Banashankari, near Badami, and head to the returning officer's office in a procession along with leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar, Mr P C Gaddigoudar, MP, and other leaders to submit his nomination papers. Badami taluk BJP president Muttanna Patil said the party would mobilize more than 30,000 people for the procession scheduled to be led by Mr Sriramulu. A number of senior police officers have been deployed along with additional forces in the town as a precautionary measure. 

Two hours later, Mr Siddaramaiah would arrive along with his supporters, offer pooja at the same temple, and head to the returning officer's office to hand in his papers.