The Reddy brothers lobbied intensely for their re-entry into the Cabinet during meetings with BJP president Nitin Gadkari and other senior leaders of the party in New Delhi on Tuesday.
A day after their efforts to secure positions in the Cabinet were stymied by former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, former tourism minister G. Janardhan Reddy met Mr Gadkari and other leaders to ensure berths for his elder brother and former revenue minister G. Karunakar Reddy and former health minister B. Sreeramulu during the next Cabinet expansion likely this weekend or early next week. He reportedly argued with senior leaders that Mr Karunakar Reddy and Mr Sreeramulu should not be penalised merely on grounds that their names appeared in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, sources in the party told this newspaper.
On Monday, Mr Janardhan Reddy had walked out of a meeting in a huff after he failed to stop Mr Yeddyurappa from including the name of Mr V. Somanna among legislators chosen for induction into the Cabinet. He reportedly told the former chief minister and other leaders that Mr Somanna should not make it to the Cabinet as his son was named in the Lokayukta report.
Meanwhile, sources said Mr Janardhan Reddy will also propose names of his younger brother G. Somashekar Reddy or die-hard supporters in case Central leaders decide against appointing him or his elder sibling as a minister. The list of alternative names will include Mr Somashekhar Reddy, chairman, Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), M.S. Somalingappa, legislator of Sirguppa constituency and Mr Sreeramulu’s nephew T.H. Suresh Babu, a MLA from Kampli.