Former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's association with Bellary's mining and steel giants grew only after former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy tried to topple his government in November 2009 by herding around 60 MLAs to a resort in Hyderabad, say sources in the mining industry.
“Realising that the Reddy brothers had money power which he lacked, Mr Yeddyurappa began paying more attention to the mining and steel giants who were harassed by their associates in Bellary,” they claim, pointing out that the dates of the financial transactions between the steel/ mining companies and family members of the former Chief Minister reveal they took place only after November 2009. JSW subsidiary, South West Mining Company donated Rs 10 crore to the Preranan Trust in February 2010, and the Rs 20 crore land deal was struck wth SWMC in November of the same year. Mining baron, R Praveen Chandra allegedy paid Rs 6 crore to the companies run by Mr Yeddyurappa's family members in September 2009 when the Reddy rebellion was at its peak.
“A syndicate of mining and steel barons opposed to the Reddy brothers approached Mr Yeddyurappa and a senior national leader of the party from Delhi when they raised a rebellion and assured they would get the JD(S) to support the party if the Reddys were expelled. But they did not succeed because they had the backing of Sushma Swaraj at the time,” add sources.