Fissures in the Reddy clan became apparent on Thursday when former minister, B Sreeramulu, a close associate of jailed mining baron turned politician, Janardhan Reddy, declared he would field an "ordinary youth " from his Badava Shramika Raitha ( BSR) party against the eldest of the brothers, Gali Karunakar Reddy, who has remained with the BJP, in the coming assembly polls and still defeat him with a huge majority.
“I will field an ordinary youth from my party against Karunakar Reddy and defeat him with a record margin of votes,” Mr Sreeramulu asserted, speaking to reporters after his padyatra entered Harapanahalli town, Davanagere district. Asked to comment on Mr Karunakar Reddy's decision to stay away from the new political outfit he was floating with his brothers, Mr Sreeramulu replied, “He is free to be wherever he wants to be. I will not try to persuade him to join us. My party will field a candidate against him when the elections come.”
Mr Karunakar Reddy has often declared that he will not leave the BJP and contest again from Harapanahalli in the next polls on its ticket. Differences in the Reddy clan first came into the open during the Bellary by-poll last year which Mr Sreeramulu contested after quitting the BJP saying his pride had been hurt by the indictment in the Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining. Mr Karunakar Reddy chose to stay away from his campaign although he did not canvas for the BJP either.