BALLARI: Soon after the State Government officially announced the 31st district of the state by dividing Ballari district and forming Vijayanagara, the political circles are abuzz on whether former minister and miner Gali Janardhana Reddy can now visit the new district. Speculation is rife that he may look at the new district as one which may give him political rebirth.
Reddy who was arrested in 2011 was jailed for nearly four years for his alleged role in illegal mining, and was granted bail in 2015. Without the court’s permission, Reddy cannot enter three districts – Anantapur and Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh and Ballari in Karnataka.Now with the carving of the new district, some experts feel that he may not have any legal hurdle to enter Vijayanagara. He has business establishments in Hosapete.
Some insiders say that Reddy has a wish to restart his political career from Hosapete. “Before Reddy was prisoned in the illegal mining case, his close aide B Sriramulu was planning to launch a political party named BSR Congress. A rally was held in Hosapete in 2010, which was not a great success. But now things have changed. Minister Anand Singh, a Ballari baron who was then in Congress, has joined BJP and won from Vijayanagara. This may work in Reddy’s favour if he decides to restart his political career here,” said a political expert from Ballari.
Sirigeri Pannaraj, senior advocate from Ballari, said that the Supreme Court while sanctioning the bail had asked Reddy not to visit Ballari district in Karnataka. “But now as the district has been divided, Reddy can visit the new district. These days, he mostly visits Chitradurga which is closer to Ballari. Now he can visit Hosapete, which is the district headquarters of the new district,” the advocate said.However, some legal experts said that in the event of a fresh case against Reddy, then the court can decide on this ticklish problem of whether he can be allowed to visit Vijayanagara, carved out of Ballari.