K'taka crisis deepens, political blackmail begins

New Delhi: The ongoing political crisis in Karnataka has placed a question mark on the BS Yeddyurappa-led BJP government in the state.

The Reddy brothers who are leading the rebellion in the state have arrived in Delhi with a list of demands and conditions that amount to a virtual blackmail of the state government.

The list of their demands include:

• The state home minister should be someone of the choice of the Reddy brothers.
• There must be a complete revamp of the administration in Bellary, which is the Reddy stronghold.
• All cases against the Reddy brothers and their supporters in connection with a kidnapping incident in a local contract case must be withdrawn.
• The government must speedily process permissions for all projects in which the Reddy brothers have interests.
• The government must also give a percentage of advertising revenue to Sakshi Group, a media outfit controlled by YSR Reddy's son Jagan Reddy, a business partner of the Bellary brothers.

Meanwhile, party top brass LK Advani, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar have held a series of meetings to come to a conclusion in this matter.

Speaking on the ongoing tussle, one of the Reddy brothers Janardhan Reddy said, “Our top BJP leaders will make the best informed decision for the state.”

Special representative to the Karnataka government Dhananjay Kumar spoke to CNN-IBN and he remained confident that there won't be any change in the party leadership.

“Party has categorically said that there will be no change in the leadership in Karnataka. Party is united. Crisis in Karnataka government is not engineered by the BJP. Reddy brothers are in Delhi and all their issues will be amicably solved by the party leadership,” he said.

Who are the Reddys?

They were entrepreneurs in Bellary in 1999 when Congress President Sonia Gandhi first contested Lok Sabha polls.

In 2002, Janardhana Reddy turned to iron ore mining. As prices boomed, their fortunes soared.

In 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Karunakara Reddy took Bellary seat from Congress and retained it in 2009.

Reddy brothers helped Yeddyurappa get majority in May 2008 Assembly polls.