INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
upcoming Karnataka elections released this evening contained a surprise candidate -- Gali Somashekhara Reddy fielded from Bellary City --
which drew immediate jeers from the Congress
Fifty-two-year-old G Somashekhara Reddy is the youngest of Reddy brothers, mining barons for whom the iron ore-rich district of Bellary was
State BJP spokesperson Vivek Reddy told that the party has "made a compromise" by fielding him since it wanted to win the Bellary
city.Mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy was a minister in the government of BS Yeddyurappa, who is leading the BJP campaign in the state
Mr Reddy was removed after massive corruption charges involving illegal mining in 2011
Somasekhara Reddy, who represented Bellary in the assembly, is accused of bribing a judge in the cash-for bail case that involved Janardhan
He is currently out on bail.Soon after the BJP list was out, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted:The Congress leader was
referring to a recent slip of tongue by BJP chief Amit Shah during a meeting in Karnataka
Though Mr Shah had quickly corrected himself, it didn't check the rapid circulation of the video clip on social media, mostly by Congress
supporters.Today, Vivek Reddy said the BJP has "avoided drafting" any candidate convicted of corruption."Katta Subramanya Naidu and
Krishnaiah Shetty were not given any seats in the last assembly elections because they were facing criminal charges
They have now been acquitted," he said, referring to the party's two senior leaders who have been given ticket this time from Shivaji Nagar
and Malur.Regarding Somashekhara Reddy, he said, "I think the party has made one compromise in order to ensure that we win the seat it is
not across the board like Congress there are 67 complaints against Siddaramaiah".G Janardhan Reddy, who is out on bail after spending three
years in jail, hosted a spectacularly expensive wedding reception for his daughter in 2016, weeks after the government announced notes ban
Estimates of the costs for the function -- which included replicas of famous temples and 50,000 guests - varied from 30 to 500 crore
rupees.On April 8, the BJP declared its first list of 72 candidates which included its chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, and
senior leaders KS Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar.
