BENGALURU: The blockbuster wedding of the daughter of Ballari mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy on Wednesday saw attendance of prominent leaders from the two main political parties.
If Reddy’s message, through the megabucks wedding, was to show that he still mattered in Karnataka politics ahead of the 2018 assembly elections, it may have worked. While state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, who had once lost his chief ministership for allegedly favouring Reddy, attended both the wedding and pre-nuptial bash on two days along with other party leaders, bigwigs from other parties from the state and outside too were present.
Congress state president and home minister G Parameshwara and energy minister DK Shivakumar were among the prominent ruling party politicians who attended the wedding on Wednesday, even as the Congress ironically raised the issue in Parliament.
As the winter session kicked off in New Delhi, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma asked how the BJP could allow its former minister to spend crores of rupees on a wedding when people were suffering due to the cash crunch owing to demonetisation. Sharma even demanded the arrest of Reddy for spending a “huge amount of black money’” on the wedding.
Parameshwara’s participation at the wedding also came in for some criticism as the state government had formed a special investigation team, following Supreme Court order, to probe the illegal mining case faced by Reddy. The SC had stated that the inquiry should be done by an SIT if the quantity of illegally mined ore was above 50,000 tonnes. However, the SIT is yet to file a chargesheet against Reddy.
It is unclear whether home minister G Parameshwara, who attended the wedding of the daughter of Ballari mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy on Wednesday, represented the government or the Congress or whether it was a personal visit.
Several other leaders, including Union ministers, sent their representatives or families fearing criticism.
Governor Vajubhai Vala also took part in the wedding and blessed the couple. Sandalwood actors Puneeth Rajkumar, Ravichandran, B Sarojadevi, Jayanthi, Bullet Prakash, Telugu comedian Brahmanandam, actor Suman and Tamil actors Sharath Babu and Vishal were among those who lent starry glitter to the event. JSW Steels Ltd deputy managing director Vinod K Nowal too was present.
Over 70,000 people were present and were served traditional vegetarian meals on plaintain leaves. Over 112 dishes were on the menu.
NETAS WHO SKIPPED THE WEDDING
Union ministers Ananth Kumar and DV Sadananda Gowda, former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa, former BJP ministers Shobha Karandlaje and Suresh Kumar, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy, YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy, and labour minister Santosh Lad, also from Ballari.
NETAS WHO ATTENDED
Home minister G Parameshwara, energy minister D K Shivakumar, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, Koppal MP Karadi Sanganna, Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh, MLC Amarnath Patil, Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh) MP Venkatarama Reddy.