[1]Former minister, Gali Janardhan Reddy, battling charges of illegal mining, is seriously considering contesting the coming assembly polls from Bellary city constituency, even from behind bars if he does not succeed in getting bail before the elections are announced, according to sources.
He is reportedly determined to prove his popularity in the polls by contesting from the constitutency currently represented by his older brother, Gali Somashekhar Reddy.
“When people like Ravikanth Patil from Indi in Bijapur and many others in the northern states can win elections from behind bars, why can't Janardhan Reddy do the same in Bellary where he had enjoyed considerable influence until recently?” ask his supporters.
The mining baron turned politician had on Wednesday appealed to the CBI special court in Hyderabad to release him on bail to make it possible for him to contest the elections due in a few months in Karnataka.
He is reportedly hoping to strengthen the support base of the BSR Congress headed by his close associate and former minister, B Sreeramulu who is finding it hard to run it in his absence as he is recognised as the master strategist of the Reddy camp.
“If Mr Janardhan Reddy walks out of prison prior to the elections, he will definitely contest them, but otherwise he could also consider fielding his wife, Lakshmi Aruna from Bellary City”, add sources close to the former minister.
Judge U Durga Prasad of the CBI special court, has reserved his order on his bail plea for November 26.
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