New Delhi: Mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy returned to Karnataka's Bellary after five years and two months on November.
1.More than 10,000 people had lined up to receive him in his former fiefdom after he got the court's permission to visit Bellary to make preparations for his daughter's wedding.Janardhan Reddy, who was arrested on September 5, 2011, spent four years in Hyderabad and Bengaluru jails before being released on bail last year on the condition that he will not visit Bellary and Ananthpur districts.The reception was in stark contrast to the one received on the day of his release from Bengaluru central prison a year ago. When Reddy and two of his associates came out of jail, there was no one to receive them except some die-hard supporters. According to his close circle, not a single BJP leader received his calls or agreed to meet him for almost a year.Situation was so bad that even his own elder brother and former Karnataka minister G Karunakara Reddy avoided meeting him.Speaking to media on condition of anonymity, one of his personal assistants said, "Sir (Janardhan Reddy) went into depression. He came out of jail and there was no one to listen to him, console him or support him. He told us that he had lost all interest in politics and public life. He just wanted to focus on his court cases and migrate to a foreign country. "A shrewd operator, Reddy did not want his "reign" to end like this. Away from the public glare, he quietly started working on a revival plan and realised that his daughter's wedding would be the best opportunity to prove that he still matters in Karnataka politics, the source said.A month ago, he released the expensive wedding invitation of his daughter Brahmani.
It was embedded with an auto play video featuring the bride and groom costing over Rs.10000 per card.
The people of Karnataka who had seen his opulence and show off during the BJP regime reacted in horror and social media was full of negative comments.Unfazed, he distributed the invitation card to important personalities in state politics. He personally went to invite former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.After inviting state BJP president and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, his one-time tormentor Janardhan Reddy grandly announced that he will make all possible efforts to bring him back as the chief minister again. Yeddyurappa, who had vowed not to deal with Janardhan Reddy again, nodded approvingly. The deal was done and the past was buried.The much talked about Reddy wedding will be held at the historic Bangalore palace on November 16. Reddy is expecting over 50,000 guests from all over the country. As his old friends say, for him it is not just his daughter's wedding but a first big step towards regaining the clout and stature he lost in a humiliating manner five years ago.According his old rival in Bellary politics and a senior Congress leader K C Kondaiah, the Reddys were never bothered about the public opinion. Speaking to media, he said "They believe that all publicity is good publicity. Four years in jail does not seem to have ended his ego and ambition. By using his daughter's wedding he is trying to stage a comeback. The BJP which had distanced itself from him is once again entertaining him. I fear that he will play a big role once again in the 2018 Assembly polls. It will not be a good news for our state. "But not everyone is amused by return of the Reddys. Senior Karnataka minister K R Ramesh Kumar has issued a public statement requesting the political leaders not to attend the wedding.Speaking to media he said, "It is a shame. We all know how he has made money. No leader with self-respect should attend the wedding."But there are many who have no issues with attending the mega wedding which is estimated to cost over Rs.100 crore. Speaking to media, Yeddyurappa said that he was going to attend the wedding. He said "I do not want to comment on what happened in the past. It is a wedding and I am going to attend.
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