K’taka BJP leader Sriramulu threatens to quit amid rift with party MLA Janardhana Reddy
Bengaluru: The infighting within the Karnataka BJP has come to the forefront, with former minister B. Sriramulu accusing mining baron and MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy of attempting to undermine his political career.
Sriramulu, a prominent leader representing the oppressed classes, has expressed his willingness to resign from the party in response to these tensions.
Addressing the media, Sriramulu claimed that BJP Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Agarwal had humiliated him during a recent state core committee meeting. According to Sriramulu, Agarwal blamed him for the party’s defeat in the by-election for the Sandur Assembly constituency.
“Agarwal alleged that I did not work for BJP candidate Bangaru Hanumantha, leading to the party’s loss,” Sriramulu said.
Countering these allegations, Sriramulu pointed out that the committee led by former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda had not yet submitted its report on the bypoll defeat. “I questioned State President B.Y. Vijayendra’s silence on the matter. Vijayendra knows I actively campaigned in the Sandur constituency from day one, as he was present there. I only left for Shiggaon in the final days of the election to support the BJP candidate there,” Sriramulu explained.
The BJP leader said he was deeply hurt by the accusations and alleged that Janardhana Reddy had been influencing the party leadership against him. “Reddy is acting like a dictator, expecting the party to function according to his whims. I’ve been a loyal party worker for three decades and have never betrayed the BJP. Yet, conspiracies are being hatched against me,” Sriramulu charged.
Sriramulu revealed that he had contemplated resigning from the party but was persuaded otherwise by Agarwal, who intervened and urged him not to take such an extreme step.
According to sources, Sriramulu has raised his concerns with the BJP’s central leadership.
The state BJP core committee meeting, held on Tuesday night, has exposed further cracks within the party. The open rebellion by former ministers Ramesh Jarkiholi and Basanagouda Patil Yatnal against State President Vijayendra has already dented the party’s image and caused confusion among workers statewide.
Meanwhile, the party is gearing up for elections to appoint district and state presidents.
Sriramulu and Janardhana Reddy, once known as close allies in Karnataka politics, now find themselves at odds. While Reddy played a key role in Sriramulu’s rise in state politics, the two have grown apart. Sriramulu chose not to join Reddy’s Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP), launched before the state assembly elections. In March 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Reddy merged the KRPP with the BJP, further complicating their relationship.