Will rebel candidate B Sriramulu’s victory in the Bellary Rural bypoll spell doom for the BJP? This is the question doing rounds in the political circles. While the opposition parties want that to happen, the Sriramulu camp seems to tread cautiously.
B Sriramulu, who was the health minister in the Yeddyurappa cabinet, had played a major role in giving the BJP a big boost in the Bellary district which was a Congress bastion. He turned hostile on not being inducted into the D V Sadanand Gowda cabinet. Sriramulu’s name along with those of his mentors, the Reddy brothers — Janardhan and Karunakar, — had figured in the Lok Ayukta report on illegal mining.
This had forced the BJP to exclude him from the cabinet. Upset by the development, Sriramulu resigned as MLA citing that his ego and pride had been hurt.
After waiting for a few weeks, the Speaker finally accepted the resignation which necessitated the by-elections. The BJP tried to woo Sriramulu to contest on its ticket, but he refused and preferred to contest as an independent. Being a national party, the BJP was forced to field its candidate to save its face but the defeat was humiliating.
Now that B Sriramulu has won and has stated that he would launch a new party, speculations are rife he would destabilise the BJP government. However, Sriramulu has denied this saying, he was only into building parties and not for demolishing.
Looking at the developments during the elections, the Reddys’ team seems to be trying out a wait and watch tactic. G Janardhan Reddy who has been in the Chanchalaguda jail after the CBI arrested him, has not made a public statement against the BJP while tacitly supported Sriramulu.
Former revenue minister B Karunakar Reddy who is BJP MLA chose to be away from the poll arena and thus avoided any disciplinary action from the party.
Barring five legislators and two MPs, not many MLAs are with Sriramulu. Three MLAs, one MLC and two MPs from Bellary, who won on the BJP ticket, have been suspended by the party for openly supporting Sriramulu in the election. Those hoping for the BJP government to fall claim that Sriramulu would rope in MLAs from backward classes and throw a challenge to the government.
However that is not easy as none of the MLAs wants to go in for elections immediately in the event of the government falling. They are not sure of getting re-elected if they desert the BJP and contest from a new party.
Even Janardhan Reddy and Karunakar Reddy may not support the idea as there are cases pending against them and any attempt to destabilise the government could prove counter-productive. “The Congress will be in no mood to help them in the cases of illegal mining and they cannot afford to antagonise the BJP further,” said a close aide of the Reddys.
“By reducing the BJP to a minority and ensuring its fall, the Reddys would only help Congress which will rule by proxy during the President’s Rule. The Reddys may remain in the BJP and try to bargain with it and get their works done,” the source said.
Meanwhile the BJP top brass is taking no chances and is making preparations to face any eventuality in case Sriramulu attempts to destabilise the government. The party is holding parleys with independents and MLAs from other parties to muster support to save the government.
Party president K S Eshwarappa has held discussions with Independent MLA Goolihatti Shekhar who was once the minister in Yeddyurappa cabinet in a bid to muster more support.
