Bellary bypoll: BJP loses deposit

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Ruling BJP on Sunday suffered a humiliating defeat in Bellary, the stronghold of Reddy brothers, when their protege and former minister B. Sreeramulu won the byelection in the rural Assembly constituency by a huge margin of 46,000 votes.
Mr Sreeramulu, a close associate of jailed mining baron and former ministers G. Janardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy, secured 74,527 votes and retained the seat which he had vacated protesting the denial of a ministerial berth in the D.V. Sadananda Gowda ministry.
The 40-year-old health minister in the B.S. Yeddyurappa government, who had vowed to rout BJP from Bellary during his campaign, is seen as the proxy of Reddy brothers now languishing in a Hyderabad jail after being arrested in an illegal mining case.
BJP finished a poor third with its candidate P. Gadilingappa losing the deposit managing only 17,366 votes behind Congress’ B. Ramprasad who garnered 27,737 votes in the triangular fight, seen as litmus test for the Reddy brothers, facing the CBI heat in illegal mining cases.
Mr Sreeramulu had resigned his Assembly seat in August in the wake of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining that indicting him, saying his pride has been hurt. He quit the BJP days before the November 30 byelection, result of which was announced on Sunday.
He was also angry the BJP has not sought clarifications from him the mining report. In later days, he bitterly criticised the BJP, vowing to decimate it in Bellary district.
“I don’t believe it’s my victory; it’s a victory of the people”, Mr Sreeramulu told reporters after the declaration of the result.
Asked about the future course of action, Mr Sreeramulu, who had in the run-up to the byelection indicated that he would float a regional party, said he would speak to Janardhana Reddy, currently lodged in Chanchalaguda jail in Hyderabad, and legislators and MPs.
The bypoll saw a fierce and feverish campaigning with the BJP suspending three of its MLAs, one MLC and two Lok Sabha MPs who actively backed Mr Sreeramulu.
BJP had unsuccessfully tried to field Mr Sreeramulu as the party’s candidate but he chose to contest as an Independent after consultations with Janardhana Reddy.