Former Karnataka minister and mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy on Monday rejoined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Gangavati MLA, who is an accused in an illegal mining case, had formed the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) ahead of the Assembly polls last year, snapping his two-decade-old association with the BJP. Reddy on Monday merged his KRPP with the BJP as he, along with wife Aruna Lakshmi and some family members, joined the party in the presence of its veteran leader and former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, state president B.Y. Vijayendra and others.

Reddy had recently met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. However, in the February 27 Rajya Sabha polls he had extended support to the Congress candidate.

Calling it a “home-coming”, Reddy explained that the move to merge the KRPP with the BJP is to “strengthen Narendra Modi’s hands and make him the Prime Minister the third time”.

“Amit Shah had invited me to Delhi and told me that — there is no question of extending outside support (KRPP supporting BJP in the Lok Sabha polls) and instead I should join the BJP and work for it, as I took my political birth in the party. Accepting it, I’m joining the party,” he said.

Praising Yediyurappa and the leader’s contribution in his political growth, Reddy said he is happy that he will be working in the party now with the veteran leader’s son Vijayendra. “I will work as a common party worker along with other leaders under the leadership of Vijayendra. I have not come with any conditions or expectations. Whatever responsibility the party gives me, I will honestly work,” Reddy said.

“The BJP was always there in my blood, but due to some reasons I had gone out, but today I feel I have come back to my mother’s lap. Looking at my brothers here, I don’t feel like I’m coming back to the BJP office after 13 years,” he added.

Welcoming Reddy back into the party, Vijayendra said his joining would strengthen the BJP in the Kalyana Karnataka region. “Liking Narendra Modi’s leadership and accepting BJP’s ideology, Reddy has rejoined the party. Reddy has said that Karnataka should have a larger contribution in making Modi PM once again — to ensure that the BJP-JDS alliance win all the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, he is merging his KRPP with BJP and is joining the party,” he said.

Before the Assembly polls last year, Reddy had been largely politically inactive for nearly 12 years since his arrest by the CBI for an alleged role in a mining scam.

PTI