YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy met Bellary rural MLA and BSR Congress president B. Sriramulu in Bellary three days ago and sought his cooperation in getting votes for his candidate in neighbouring Rayadurgam Assembly constituency, going for bypolls next month. Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy stayed for two nights in Bellary at the residence of Rayadurgam YSR Congress candidate and former MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy and met Mr Sriramulu.
Mr Sriramulu belongs to the Boya community and wields considerable influence in the Rayadurgam Assembly constituency. Sources said he promised Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy all possible help to ensure Mr Ramachandra Reddy wins. Sources said Mr Ramachandra Reddy was initially reluctant to contest and had even expressed this to Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. It was Mr Sriramulu who convinced Mr Ramachandra Reddy to reconsider, at the behest of Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mr Sriramulu is a close associate of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. He also met the mining baron in the Chanchalguda jail thrice before he was shifted to Bengaluru jail.
It is said Mr Sriramulu left the BJP, contested as an Independent and later floated the BSR Congress on the advice of Mr Janardhan Reddy. Mr Ramachandra Reddy was the joint MD of the OMC, owned by Mr Janardhan Reddy. A senior YSR Congress leader confirmed the Bellary meeting and said “What is wrong in meeting him? He is very influential in Rayadurgam.”