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Karnataka's richest political family, the Bellary Reddys, are at loggerheads: two of the three brothers don't want to campaign against the Congress candidate, once their mentor

Election politics is taking a toll on the unity of Bellary's Reddy brothers.

G Janardhana Reddy

G Janardhana Reddy, Karunakara Reddy and Somashekara Reddy are torn between supporting a family friend and the family mentor.

BJP candidate J Shantha is the sister of minister Sri Ramulu, the brothers' confidant. But equally close is Congress candidate Justice N Y Hanumanthappa who is the family guru.

"The family is in confusion," said a BJP leader. "While they have to guide the BJP to victory, they don't want to hurt Hanumanthappa."

Though Sri Ramulu is closer to elder brother Janardhana, younger brothers  Karunakara and Somashekara are more indebted to Hanumanthappa, who has been with the family through thick and thin.

He helped them financially when they were in trouble and bailed them out when their chit fund company was caught in a cheating case much before they entered the mining business.

In fact, the younger brothers wanted him to be the BJP candidate after Bellary became reserved for Scheduled Tribes following de-limitation.  But Sri Ramulu prevailed on Janardhana to push his sister's case. Taking advantage of the situation, Congress fielded the fellow nayaka, a community that falls under the ST category.

Karunakara Reddy

Hail nepotism!

"Karunakara and Somashekara are upset over Sri Ramulu pushing all his relatives," said the leader. " They have gone to the extent of expressing non co-operation with their elder brother."

In the last assembly elections, Sri Ramulu had got a party ticket for his sister's son, Suresh Babu, making him the youngest MLA. Sanna Phakirappa, the BJP candidate from Raichur, is another sister's son.

United front

Girish Mattennavar, president of the BJP state Yuva Morcha, who has campaigned in the region made light of the infighting. "There may be differences of opinion but everybody is working for the party's victory," he said.

However, the younger brothers are not actively campaigning for Shantha. Karunakara is concentrating on Chitradurga and Davanagere. And though Somashekara is in Bellary as he is the party's district president, his reluctance is apparent during campaigning.

The Reddy brothers, Bellary's mining lords, had spent hundreds of crores in the assembly elections to drive the BJP to power and get a firm grip on the Yeddyurappa government. While Janardhana is the tourism minister, Karunakara has the plum portfolio of revenue. Sri Ramulu who represents Bellary (City) is the health minister.