Lone MLA of Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP) and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy merged his party with the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday and rejoined the party along with his wife Aruna Lakshmi in the presence of party leader BS Yediyurappa and state BJP President BY Vijayendra in Bengaluru.
"Today I joined BJP by merging my party with BJP. I will work as a BJP worker to make PM Modi, Prime Minister for the third time," Reddy said, adding that he has joined the party without any conditions and does not need any position.
Ahead of joining the saffron party, Reddy said he decided to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again for the third time.
"After consulting my supporters, I took the decision. Tomorrow at 10 am I am rejoining BJP," he told the reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The KRPP founder said he would support the BJP candidate from Ballari Lok Sabha constituency, B Sriramulu, whom he called a boy raised by him, as per a PTI report.
Sriramulu, a former minister, lost the assembly election from the Ballari assembly segment in 2023.
Reddy was a state minister in the BS Yediyurappa government and was jailed in the mining scam after which he distanced from the BJP and founded the KRPP.
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In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls, Reddy was instrumental in the defeat of his two brothers, G Karunakara Reddy and G Somashekara Reddy, who was fielded by the BJP from Harapanahalli and Ballari City respectively.
Reddy's wife Aruna Lakshmi contested against Somashekara Reddy in Ballari City and ensured his defeat paving the way for Congress candidate Nara Bharath Reddy to win from there.
He supported Congress during the Rajya Sabha polls held last month.