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B Sreeramulu (42), who returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka on Friday, much against the wish of senior party leader Sushma Swaraj, has emerged a strong leader of Valmiki community (Scheduled Tribe) in northern Karnataka after his exit from the party in 2011.
It was not for nothing that the BJP reinducted Sreeramulu into the party, even at the annoyance of Swaraj. In 2013 Assembly elections, Sreeramulu’s party (BSR Congress) won four seats and grabbed a vote share of close to three per cent. His re-entry will strengthen the party and enhance its chances of retaining the reserved Bellary Lok Sabha seat. His sister J Shantha won Bellary LS seat on a BJP ticket in 2009. She defeated Congress candidate N Y Hanumanthappa by a slender margin of 2,243 votes.
Sreeramulu will contest from Bellary on a BJP ticket. A close confidante of mining baron and former Infrastructure Minister G Janardhan Reddy, Sreeramulu shot into prominence after the arrest of Reddy in connection with the multi-crore mining scam in September 2011.
He has won four consecutive times in the Assembly elections from Bellary constituency since 2004. He won twice on BJP ticket (2004 and 2008) and as an Independent in the by-election held in December 2011 and as BSR Congress candidate in the Assembly elections in May 2013.
According to BJP insiders, Swaraj opposed his re-induction because of his closeness with mining baron Janardhan Reddy. She was once closely associated with Reddy brothers. She believes she lost to Narendra Modi in the prime ministerial race due to her alleged proximity to them.
After joining the party, Sreeramulu said, “I have returned to the BJP as per the wish of all senior party leaders. I am here with an intention to make a true patriot (Modi) the prime minister of India.”
He founded the BSR Congress (Badava means poor, Shramika hardworking, Raitha farmer) ahead of 2013 Assembly elections after he was humiliated by the BJP, at the same time when B S Yeddyurappa formed his Karnataka Janata Party (KJP).
“Sreeramulu has no serious charges against him in the illegal mining scam. There is not even a FIR filed against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation. His re-induction will strengthen our position in the Lok Sabha elections. Besides, winning in Bellary seat, we can also polarise anti-Congress votes as he has three per cent vote share in the state,” a BJP functionary said.
He held the portfolio of tourism in the coalition government between BJP and JD(S) in 2006 and later became minister for health in the government of B S Yeddyurappa in 2008.
Sreeramulu considers Swaraj as his thayi (mother). He had played a very active role when Swaraj unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls in 1999 from Bellary. This election witnessed a fierce battle between Swaraj and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Pralhad Joshi, president, BJP state unit said, “Sreeramulu has rejoined the party. Karnataka BJP wholeheartedly welcomes him. All necessary legal procedures will follow.” The party is likely to rope in two of the three other MLAs from BSR Congress otherwise it would attract anti-defection law.
The return of Sreeramulu to BJP was not just the saffron party’s wish, but even he was very keen on it, as he could not win many seats in the 2013 Assembly elections.
In 2009, BJP was ruling the state and Reddy brothers, along with Sreeramulu, enjoyed huge clout in the region. They had money and muscle power. Now, Janardhan Reddy is in jail and there is no income from illegal mining.
Sreeramulu’s fate will be known on May 16 when the electronic voting machines will be opened for counting.
