Fourteen years after he was barred from entering Ballari, MLA and former BJP minister Janardhana Reddy is all set to return to his home district.
Published Oct 09, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 09, 2024 | 8:11 PM
MLA and former BJP Minister Janardhana Reddy
The Supreme Court’s decision over a week ago to allow Gali Janardhana Reddy – MLA from Gangavathi and former BJP minister, accused in an illegal mining case – to return to Ballari after a 14-year ban has reignited an old political controversy in the region.
Barred from entering Ballari since 2011 due to his alleged involvement in a high-profile illegal mining case, Reddy’s return on 30 September has drawn both attention and controversy.
Reddy, who has managed to sustain in politics despite his legal troubles, plans to visit Ballari during the Dasara festival on 10 October, in an attempt to express his commitment to reconnect with his home turf.
However, his re-entry has not been met with universal approval. Tapal Ganesh, a businessman and key petitioner against the Reddy brothers’ illegal mining activities, has voiced his disappointment over these developments.
Ganesh, who played a pivotal role in exposing MLA’s alleged mining empire, expressed concern that Reddy’s return could undermine efforts to address the ongoing legal cases related to illegal mining.
As the political climate in Ballari shifts, questions about how Janardhana Reddy’s presence will impact the local electorate and whether his return will revive his and the saffron party’s political influence in the region is yet to be answered.
Political commentators have expressed scepticism on both things, while the BJP has been losing its bastion year-on-year. They argue that the MLA lacks mass appeal and primarily relies on his financial resources and caste mobilization, confining him to certain pockets.
After being barred from entering Ballari for 14 years due to his alleged involvement in a multi-million illegal mining scandal, former minister and MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy, who contested 2023 assembly polls on his own party’s symbol and eventually merged it with the BJP, has been granted permission by the Supreme Court to return to his home district.
The top court permitted Reddy to enter the Ballari district on 30 September. This marks a significant moment for Reddy, who had been under strict restrictions as part of the conditions of his bail since 2011, preventing him from entering the district and Anantapur, and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh.
These restrictions were imposed due to fears that he might tamper with evidence related to the illegal mining case for which he was arrested in 2011. Though the apex court had granted him bail in January, 2015, he was arrested once again by the then Special Investigation Team (SIT) in November, 2015.
After three years in prison, Janardhana Reddy was released from prison on bail only in 2018, which was just ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls. Since then, he has continued to be active in politics.
Now, with the court permitting him to visit his home district, jubilant MLA expressed his plans to visit Ballari during the ongoing Navratri festival on Thursday, 10 October.
Following the SC’s order, Janardhana Reddy told media in Bengaluru: “Before leaving to Ballari, I will start with a visit to Gangavathi for the blessings of Lord Hanuman. I will also hold talks with the people of my segment as they gave me rebirth in the politics. After 14 years, the Supreme Court has allowed me to return to Ballari. I will visit the temples there and offer my prayers. My intention is to stay in the district for the rest of my life.”
Political commentators have expressed scepticism regarding Janardhan Reddy’s potential impact on the political landscape of Ballari, particularly in light of his recent re-entry into the region.
Azim Premji University Professor and political analyst Narayan A noted that Reddy lacks mass appeal and primarily relies on his financial resources and caste mobilisation to exert influence.
He told South First: “Janardhana Reddy is not a leader who can make an impact. His main strength is money and he does not enjoy any political clout. He is not the leader with mass appeal. His strength primarily stems from money and from whatever castes he can mobilise votes. I do not see any major political impact beyond this.”
On whether Reddy will help revive BJP’s fortune in the district, he opined, “That is relative. Sometimes political parties go through ups and downs in terms of their dominance in the region. I am not too sure whether he will fill the vacuum. Because he is not coming across as a leader. He is more of businessman in politics, who can manage to spend lot of money. He also has advantage of castes in certain pockets of the Ballari region.”
Talking about the potential impact Janardhana Reddy can have in the upcoming Sandur by-polls, he said, “It will depend upon multiple factors. Congress’ Ballari MP E Tukaram is quite a popular leader there. His reputation is at stake and it is a reserved constituency (for Scheduled Tribes). It will be a test of money power, the affinity and loyalty of SC and ST people to Congress. Sandur is bastion of Congress since Gorphade’s time. It is also the constituency that consists of a high SC and ST population.”
Businessman and activist Tapal Ganesh – who is a pivotal figure in the battle against illegal mining in Ballari, someone who played a crucial role in exposing the Reddy brothers’ mining empire and their widespread atrocities, has expressed dismay over the Supreme Court’s order.
Ganesh’s petition to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court led to a landmark ruling that ordered the immediate closure of five mines operated by the Reddy family, highlighting the unlawful exploitation of forest areas in Ballari and neighbouring districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Ganesh’s actions ignited significant political turmoil in Andhra Pradesh, particularly as the then Opposition party – TDP – rallied against illegal mining activities. In response to the mounting pressure from TDP, then Andhra CM K Rosaiah took decisive steps by establishing a three-member committee of senior forest officers to investigate the violations of mining regulations.
The committee’s findings prompted a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in 2010, which ultimately resulted in the arrest of Janardhan Reddy, forcing him to resign from the Yediyurappa cabinet.
In 2011, the Karnataka Lokayukta launched an investigation into the Reddy brothers’ illegal operations, which revealed that their actions had caused an astounding loss of ₹25,000 crore to the state’s exchequer.
Ganesh told South First: “There are around 10 to 12 ongoing cases against the Reddy brothers, especially Janardhana Reddy related to illegal mining in both Andhra and Karnataka. He is currently out on bail and not acquitted in the illegal mining cases. He should not be jubilant over being permitted entry to Ballari as cases are still pending on him. He has been allowed to enter Ballari as the investigative agencies have recorded the statements from all the witnesses,.”
Talking about why Janardhana Reddy was kept away from Ballari, he pointed out: “He was directed to stay away fearing that he would tamper with evidence. I am confident that either by the end of December or in the first week of January, 2025, the court is expected to deliver its verdict on illegal mining case based on the chargesheet of the CBI. The witnesses have given statements in this case. I am confident that Reddy and others involved in this case will be convicted by the court soon.”
Criticising being elected as an MLA by people of Gangavathi in the last Assembly elections, he said, “These days elections are purely happening on money power. People have gone to such an extent that they look for only money during polls not the character or the allegations that are on the candidates. I strongly believe that people in our state lacks awareness. Even a committee set-up by Andhra has clearly highlighted about Reddy’s illegal mining activities. If Siddaramaiah had seriously acted on Reddy’s illegal activities, his political career would have been finished long ago.”
Emphasising that Janardhana Reddy no longer enjoys the clout in Ballari that he had between 2006 and 2011, he said that CM Siddaramaiah did not pursue Reddy’s case seriously.
(Edited by Neena)
