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Journalism of Courage
In an effort to demonstrate their intent to move away from the Reddy brothers of Bellary ahead of the November 30 bypoll to the Bellary rural seat,the BJP in Karnataka on Sunday roped in the Reddys arch enemy Tappal Ganesh into the party fold.
Ahead of the arrest of Janardhan Reddy for illegal mining by the CBI and the indictment of the Reddy brothers group for illegal mining,Tappal Ganesh,who belongs to a family involved in the mining business in Bellary for several decades,had carried out a solo legal battle against the Reddys,alleging encroachment on his familys Tumti mines.
Earlier associated with a former Congress and JDS strongman from Bellary,Diwakar Babu,Ganesh was attacked in 2010 near his house in what was widely believed to be retaliation by associates of the Reddy brothers for Ganeshs campaign against the brothers.
I have joined the BJP because state BJP president Eshwarappa assured me justice for the loss that I have suffered due to illegal mining, Ganesh said in Bellary.
The entry of Ganesh is,however,not expected to give the BJP any significant leverage in the electoral battle that the party is fighting with its rebel candidate,the Reddy brothers associate B Sreeramulu.
With the JDS not fielding a candidate in the election and indirectly supporting BJP rebel Sreeramulu,many local leaders from the party who are opposed to the Reddy brothers group are gravitating to the ruling BJP.
A key JDS leader who fought the Reddys hard,N Suryanarayan Reddy,the district head of the JDS,has also expressed reluctance to support Sreeramulu and has chosen to throw his weight behind the ruling BJPs candidate Gaddi Lingappa.
Babu had also earlier showed inclination to move towards the BJP to fight Sreeramulu.
