With BJP rebel B. Sreeramulu seemingly unassailable in Bellary, and with only days to go before campaigning comes to an end for the November 30 bypoll, the BJP moved against three party MLAs and a member of the legislative council by
Sunday, threatening to suspend them from the party unless they stopped campaigning for the Valmiki strongman.
Served a three-day time-bound show-cause notice by party state chief K.S. Eshwarappa, were Kudligi MLA B Nagendra, Bellary City MLA Gali Somashekar Reddy, Kampli MLA T.H. Suresh Babu and MLC Mruthyunjaya Jinaga.
In another letter to BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Mr Eshwarappa asked for disciplinary action against Ms J. Shantha, Lok Sabha MP, Bellary and Mr Fakirappa, MP representing Raichur, for campaigning for party rebel Sreeramulu.
The only one to escape the party’s wrath was the eldest of the Reddy troika — Gali Karunakar Reddy, MLA, Harapanahalli. “He is not canvassing for Sreeramulu,” explained Mr Eshwarappa. Mr Karunakar Reddy is not keen to desert the BJP and has instead chosen to stay at the Brahmmaiah mutt in Kadappa district in Andhra Pradesh ever since his brother Janardhan Reddy’s arrest.
Mr Sreeramulu’s supporters believe his vote-bank is intact, and that the mining scandal is unlikely to have a negative impact.
“I will be happier if I was expelled from the party. I don’t see any necessity to reply to this notice as I’ve decided to stay with Sreeramulu,” said Mr Somashekhar Reddy, MLA.
Mysore: Is former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa washing his hands off the Bellary bypolls? Speaking to reporters in Mysore on Friday, he said: “The Bellary polls don’t bear my authority, it’s not my personal battle,” and then added lamely, “But the BJP will win.”