Karnataka elections: Gali sole winner in Reddy family battle

In Bellary City, Congress candidate Nara Bharath Reddy won, while Janardhana Reddy’s wife Aruna Lakshmi (KRPP), and his estranged brother G Somasekhara Reddy (BJP) lost

Former mining baron and ex-minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, who floated his party — Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP) — only a few months ago, won in Gangavathi, in Koppal district, while his wife lost the battle in Bellary City. Two of Gali’s brothers, who fought on BJP tickets, also lost.

Janardhan Reddy being greeted by supporters after his win, in Koppal, Saturday. (PTI)

In Bellary City, Congress candidate Nara Bharath Reddy won, while Janardhana Reddy’s wife Aruna Lakshmi (KRPP), and his estranged brother G Somasekhara Reddy (BJP) lost. While Bharath Reddy got 80,744 votes, Aruna bagged 46,171 and Somasekhara Reddy got 35,491.

In Harapanahalli in Vijayanagara district, independent candidate MP Latha Mallikarjun defeated Janardhana Reddy’s other brother G Karunakara Reddy (BJP) by a margin of 13,845 votes. There were also speculations that the KRPP had backed Latha, the daughter of former deputy CM MP Prakash.

Transport minister B Sriramulu and his nephew TH Suresh Babu, who were the close confidants of Janardhana Reddy, also lost the elections. While Sriramulu faced defeat at the hands of Congress candidate B Nagendra in Ballari, Suresh Babu lost to JN Ganesh (Congress) in Kampli.

In a contest between two sons of former chief minister S Bangarappa in Karnataka’s Soraba, the younger son and Congress candidate S Madhu Bangarappa defeated his elder brother, Kumar Bangarappa, a BJP nominee, by a margin of 44,262 votes. The Soraba assembly constituency in the Shivamogga district was held by the family in 12 of the 13 elections held since 1967.

Madhu got 98,912 votes, while his brother Kumar managed 54,650. JD(S) candidate B Chandregowdru was in third place with 6,477 votes.

(With PTI inputs)