Former mining baron Janardhana Reddy wins, his wife and two brothers lose in Karnataka polls

Former mining baron and ex-minister G Janardhana Reddy who had a few months ago floated his party -- Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP) -- won in Gangavathi while his wife, and two brothers who fought on BJP ticket lost in the Karnataka Assembly elections for which the results were announced on Saturday. In a classic case of 'when two fight, the third wins', in Ballari city, Congress candidate Nara Bharath Reddy won while Janardhana Reddy's wife Aruna Lakshmi (KRPP) and his estranged brother G Somasekhara Reddy lost.

While Bharath Reddy got 80,744 votes, Lakshmi Aruna bagged 46,171 votes and Somasekhara Reddy secured 35,491 votes.

In Harapanahalli, independent candidate M P Latha Mallikarjun defeated Janardhana Reddy's another brother G Karunakara Reddy (BJP) with a margin of 13,845 votes.


It is alleged that the KRPP backed Latha Mallikarjun, who is former deputy chief minister late M P Prakash's daughter.

Transport Minister B Sriramulu and his nephew T H Suresh Babu who were once the close confidants of Janardhana Reddy also lost the elections.

While Sriramulu faced the defeat at the hands of Congress candidate B Nagendra in Ballari, Suresh Babu was humbled by J N Ganesh in Kampli.