Mining baron Janardhana Reddy meets Siddaramaiah ahead of RS polls

Bengaluru, Feb 26 (IANS) Gali Janardhana Reddy, mining baron turned politician, on Monday met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his official residence Cauvery in Bengaluru. 

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Minister for Kannada and Culture Shivaraj Tangadagi were also present during the meeting. 

The development has assumed importance in the backdrop of elections to the Rajya Sabha for four seats scheduled to be held on February 27 (Tuesday).

Reddy, MLA from Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRJP) had earlier declared his support to BJP. However, he praised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for granting Rs 100 crore for the development of Anjanadri pilgrimage centre, believed to be the birth place of Lord Hanuman in Koppal district of Karnataka.

BJP and JD (S) were banking on Reddy to ensure the victory of their fifth candidate Kupendra Reddy.

However, Janardhana Reddy has kept mum over which party he will support in the Rajya Sabha elections. The Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka are being held for four seats. Congress has fielded AICC Treasurer Ajay Maken, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain and G.C. Chandrashekhar.

Senior BJP leader Narayansa Bandage and Kupendra Reddy, from the JD-S have filed their nominations as the candidates of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the Rajya Sabha. The fielding of Kupendra Reddy as the fifth candidate has created intense competition between the ruling Congress and the BJP.

--IANS

 mka/dan