Can Sriramulu do a Jagan in Karnataka?

By Shivakumar G Malagi

July 23, 2012, Bellary

Cap:  Only the portrait of Sriramulu is erected in Bellary inviting for mass marriage programme to be held on July 27, 2012 coincides with Varamahalakshmi pooja. Very first time, Sushma Swaraj potrait is missing in the portraits erected across Bellary 

On April 24 at Basavakalyana in Bidar, birthplace of12^th century revolutionary and prophet of “Veerashaivas” Sri Basaveshwara; Valmiki community strongman and once-powerful Reddy mine barons’ confidante Boya Sriramulu predicted that BJP-led state government will fall on June 17 when his padayatra reaches state-capital Bengaluru after passing through 920 km in 52 days.

 Independent MLA from Bellary (ST) assembly segment has claimed that more than 30 MLA would join on the concluding day of his padayatra while kick starting it with a big bang claiming to draw the attention of State and Central governments towards drought and backwardness of northern Karnataka region.

He also claimed that his mentor Gali Janardhan Reddy, imprisoned at Parappana Agrahara central prison in illegal mining case would join his padayatra after securing bail from the court.

On contrary to his claims; soon after launching his marathon walk, former health minister Mr Sriramulu started witnessing one after another debacle for his mentor Gali Janardhan Reddy, imprisoned at Parappana Agrahara central prison in illegal mining case and other key players of his team.

Repeated dismissal of bail pleas of Mr Janardhan Reddy in both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh courts; intensified investigation by the CBI into Reddys mining deals, entry of Enforcement Directorate, Karnataka High Court’s order to set aside the election of his sister turned Bellary Lok Sabha member J Shantha for alleged irregularities in votes counting and more fatal blow to Reddys camp has come when the CBI unearthed “cash for bail” scam in Hyderabad.

 With the handing over this scam to Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau by the AP High Court for further enquiry; top sources say that arrest of Janardhan Reddy’s elder brother and Bellary City MLA G Somashekhar Reddy and Sriramulu’s nephew T H Suresh Babu is imminent as they allegedly played key role in bribing Hyderabad CBI court judge Pattabhi Ramarao to secure bail for Janardhan Reddy. Although, Mr Sriramulu refute this scam calling it a “political conspiracy” but close sources say that it has reportedly weakened his morale, since it lessened the chances of his mentor Janardhan Reddy securing bail at the earliest.

This series setback has certainly cast dark cloud on the launching of his Badava Shramika Raitha (BSR) Congress Party when it reached Bengaluru on June 17 covering 10 districts and 50 assembly segments.

At this critical hour, a silver ray of hope came from the side of Andhra Pradesh when Reddy mine barons alleged business ally and Kadapa MP 39-year old Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSR Congress Party swept in AP by-elections.

 Loyalists of Janardhan Reddy and Sriramulu are apparently jubilant after landslide victory for Jagan in the by-elections for 18 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, with a renewed confidence to repeat this impressive performance in Karnataka in next Assembly elections claiming that people would largely ignore charges on mining scam tainted Reddy brothers and vote for Mr Sriramulu-led new party.

When the sympathy triggered among people by the arrest of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy translated into votes and seats for his YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) when it swept 15 out of the 18 Assembly seats and the lone Nellore Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh; Reddy-Sriramulu loyalists started talking of repeating similar verdict in Karnataka too.

“We are very happy with the performance of YSRCP. We are proud of Jagan for this achievement. We too all greatly blessed by his father late YS Rajashekhar Reddy. This verdict showed that the people believed him to be innocent. It also proved that people will not let you down if you work hard for their welfare”, asserted Bellary City MLA Gali Somashekhar Reddy.

KMF chairman Mr Reddy is confident enough that similar verdict will be repeated in  next Assembly elections by Sriramulu who is emerging to be a tallest leader of backward and suppressed classes in State after completing his 920 km padayatra  from Bidar to Bengaluru.

But, ground reality is not so conducive for Reddy mine barons and political scenario in Karnataka is entirely different from neighbouring AP.

YS Jagan has meticulously filled the vacuum for a third force acceptable across all regions in Andhra Pradesh after Congress and Telugu Desam Party, whereas in Karnataka, already there are three politically active  major forces-Congress, BJP and JD(S) with different identities.

Hence, at this juncture, scope for a fourth-force led by Sriramulu is still uncertain and his Valmiki community is numerically in fourth position and not a politically decisive in majority of constituencies. His party, encashing mainly on Valmiki-Nayakas can only be a good combination either with dominant Vokkalingas in southern Karnataka and Lingayats in north Karnataka to deliver an impressive verdict, but cannot go alone in more than ten-seats.

Apparently, Sreeramulu is playing AP politics in Karnataka. Emulating Jagan, Sriramulu had undertaken padayatra from Bidar to Bangalore to drum up support for his new party. Jagan went on a tour cum padayatra in AP to express his gratitude to the love and affection shown by the people towards his father YSR.

Political experts are quite skeptical about Sreeramulu doing it in Karnataka what Jagan did in AP. But to emerge as champion of backward or suppress classes, they say Sreeramulu still has a long way to go. Former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs, who is known as the great champion of backward classes took years of hard work to earn that recognition. Even his close associates admit that one Padayatra and mega rally definitely won't take Sreeramulu to that level. He just needs to be patient and really work hard to get there.

“The basic mentality of Vokkaligas or Lingayats, who are considered politically dominant upper caste, would not allow them to accept the leadership of a Valmiki leader like Sriramulu. Situation would not have been the same if the Janardhan Reddy was in active politics. He would have managed upper caste leaders to work under his leadership, but this cannot be possible for Sriramulu. Here, you cannot compare this leadership question with backward leader and former CM Devraj Urs. Then, Congress party was stood behind Urs; whereas there is no patronage of a national party for Sriramulu at this time”, remarked a Lingayat leader loyal to Siramulu.

As often claimed by him, Sriramulu’s party is focused more on North Karnataka that too on few districts surrounding Bellary, so there is a dearth of state-wide acceptability for his party. More importantly, neither he nor his mentor Janardhan Reddy had a long-legacy of politics, but carry a heavy baggage of illegal mining scam, haunted by a series of investigations.

Mining scam tainted Janardhan Reddy being behind bars may not fetch sympathy for Sriramulu, as he widely believed as “poster boy” for Reddy mine barons whose acceptability among relatively rationale voters in Karnataka is diminishing with broad exposure of mining scam.

“Sriramulu’s frequent visits to jail to meet Reddy signale that his is still under the shadow of Reddy and can not emerge on his own to become a champion of backward communities, but just a poster boy for Reddy mine barons”, remarked a expert.

On contrary to this, with its resounding victory, Jagan's party proved that its primary claim to YSR's legacy and promise of a 'suvarna rajyam' (golden rule) scored heavily with the voters, especially women, that thronged road shows addressed by his mother Y.S. Vijayamma and sister Sharmila, had all the trappings of a sympathy wave waiting to happen.

Voters seem to have largely ignored the corruption charges against Jagan, which formed a major part of the campaign plank of both the Congress and Telugu Desam Party. Also, he was largely helped by the polarization of Reddy votes irrespective of the regions and prominent Reddy community leaders’ rule the roost in districts, identified with him deserting party affiliations, while, Catholic Christians and Dalits in every region rallied behind him.

Moreover, experts also argue that there is vast difference to politics of AP and Karnataka. Jagan enjoyed huge sympathy factor triggered by the untimely demise of YSR and his subsequent arrest. But for Sriramulu, it is not the same here. If BSR Congress is assuming that Janardahan Reddy's stint in Jail will work in their favour in the 2013 assembly election or even earlier, they are in for a big trouble. Voters in Karnataka are well aware that Janardhan Reddy of their clout in Bellary and charges against them in illegal mining. So it's not easy task for them to influence the voters. But certainly, BSR Congress cannot be written off.

There is all the likelihood of YSR Congress and BSR Congress will eventually merge to fight for a common cause both in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, sources said.

Though Sriramulu originally christened the party after his name, as a political Strategy, he later renamed the party as Badavaru (poor), Shramikaru (working class) and Raitharu (BSR) to portray himself as the champion of Backward and suppressed Classes.  He declared that he will be fielding candidates in all 224 Assembly segments of the state and added that he was not interested in big leaders joining the party. “I don’t want them. What shall I do with big leaders? I would rather go to the common man,’’ he said.

Sources said that officials, including top brass KAS and KPS officers who had benefited from Sriramulu during his tenure as minister in the BJP government, are tacitly supporting Sriramulu. It would be no surprise if a few of plunge into politics in the next Assembly polls, sources added.

Elder Brother Karunakar Reddy distanced from siblings:

G. Karunakara Reddy, Harpanahalli MLA, and former Minister, has asked B. Sriramulu, BSR party leader and Independent MLA, not to be overconfident. He was referring to a statement by Mr. Sriramulu during his padayatra in Harpanahalli some days ago that he would field an ordinary worker of his party against Mr. Reddy in the next elections. Mr. Reddy said the people of Harpanahalli would teach Mr. Sriramulu a lesson if he tried to challenge him in Harpanahalli Assembly segment. He made it clear that he will not quit BJP to join his siblings and will contest from Harapanahalli constituency in the coming elections too.

Highlights of BSR Party Manifesto:

BSR Party announced a series of populist measures including one on providing rice at Rs. 2 per kg, if his party comes to power in the 2013 Assembly polls.

The highlights of his manifesto are the announcement of a minimum support price for agricultural produce the day cultivation begins, regularization of all unauthorized cultivation on government land and issue of khatas to farmers. He even plans to provide free education to poor children including professional courses like medical and engineering.

 Sriramulu to launch another padayatra

Independent MLA and founder of BSR Congress Party B Sreeramulu on Thursday said that he would again embark upon a padayatra in the districts in river Cauvery basin and that his padayatra would culminate at Kanakapura in Ramnanagar district starting from Karwar. Hihe second padayatra would cover Mysore, Malnad and coastal regions.

Besides, he announced to stage a 10-day hunger strike, protesting the BJP government’s inaction in desilting Tungabhadra reservoir. The fast would be organised at the Tungabhadra dam and about a lakh people would participate in it, he said.

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First time for a political reason “Thayee” Sushma Swaraj portrait is not erected in Bellary pooja:

In 1999 when leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj contested against AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and promised people here that she will take participation in Varamahalakshmi festival every year in the town irrespective of year election results and keeping up her promise, Ms Swaraj continuously took participation except once a couple of years ago when her father in law passed away. But, during the last year in 2011 festival, for the first time, she stayed away from the festival after Lokayukta Santosh Hegde’s report indicted Reddy mine barons for illegal mining and she disowned Reddys political makeover.  Then, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari attended the festival. However, with the breakup of Reddys with BJP, portrait of Ms Swaraj is not seen in any of the hoardings erected across Bellary town inviting for mass marriages to be conducted by Sriramulu, coinciding with Varamahalakshmi festival every year. Earlier, portraits of Ms Swaraj who Reddys and Sriramulu called as “thayee” (mother) used to erected at every nook and corner of the town during festival

Recently during his padayatra at Yelahanka, Sriramulu said media persons that he and Reddy brothers (Janardhana Reddy, Karunakara Reddy and Somashekara Reddy) treated the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj as their mother. However, they (Sriramulu and Reddy brothers) were not treated as her children.

“When I went to New Delhi to meet her, she turned her back on me. We respected her, but now there is no question of going back to her,” Sriramulu said.