Mining baron Gali forms party in Karnataka; to follow Jagan’s political style
ANANTAPUR: Mining Baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, the former minister accused in the Obulapuram illicit mining case in this district and a close aide of AP Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced the launch of a political party in Karnataka.
Janardan Reddy, who has huge wealth, quit the BJP and announced the formation of the Kalyan Rajya Pragathi Paksha party in Bengaluru on Sunday, drawing attention from many quarters including AP.
The new party plans to follow the YSRC government in AP and its poll manifesto would promise to implement welfare schemes for the disadvantaged sections of the population.
A former minister, Gali Janardhan had expressed displeasure with the BJP, with which he had associated for many years. The Ballari-based mining baron had been booked for illicit mining activities at Obulapuram in D Hirehal mandal of this district closer to AP’s Karnataka borders and arrested by the CBI in 2011. He got bail after serving in judicial custody till 2015. However, he was banished from entry to Ballari, Anantapur and Kadapa districts by way of a court-ordered safeguard against chances of him influencing the witnesses in the case.
The deity at the Kasapuram Nettikanti Hanuman temple in Guntakal in Anantapur district is worshipped by the Gali family.
Reddy had got more than 10,000 acres of land towards establishment of the Brahmani steel plant in Kadapa district during the time of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s rule, but this ended up in legal troubles. Gali’s close aide Kapu Ramachandra Reddy has been YSRC MLA from Rayadurgam assembly segment in Anantapur, in which jurisdictions the controversial mines are located.
Reddy maintained close relations with Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and son Jagan Mohan Reddy.
In the illicit mining case, several IAS and IFS officials were also accused of extending illegal support for Gali in D Hirehal mandal. The case is still pending with the CBI.
Sources close to Gali Janardhan said the successful welfare schemes of the YSRC in AP would be copied by the new Karnataka party, with some modifications and included in its manifesto. Unlike AP, several political parties vie for space and power in Karnataka.
