BJP's Janardhana Reddy disqualified as MLA after illegal mining conviction
What's the story
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G Janardhana Reddy has been disqualified as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the Gangavathi constituency.
This comes after he was convicted by a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in an illegal iron ore mining case.
The Karnataka Assembly announced the disqualification on Thursday.
Official notice
Disqualification notification issued by Karnataka Assembly
The Karnataka Assembly issued an official notification confirming the disqualification: "Consequent upon conviction of G Janardhana Reddy, Member of Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Gangavathi Constituency by the Court of the Principal Special Judge for CBI cases, Hyderabad in CC.No.1 of 2012, he stands disqualified from membership...from date of conviction i.e., May 6, 2025."
It cited Article 191(1)(e) of India's Constitution and Section 8 of the Representation Of The People Act.
Legal proceedings
Reddy's conviction linked to Obulapuram Mining Company case
The special CBI court in Hyderabad convicted Reddy and three others in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) case after a nearly 14-year-long legal battle.
The prosecution claimed that the illegal mining between 2007 and 2009 resulted in an ₹884 crore loss to the exchequer.
All four convicts were sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹10,000 each. The court also imposed a fine of ₹1L on OMC.
After sentencing, the CBI took Reddy and the other convicts into custody.
Political history
Reddy's political journey and rejoining BJP
Reddy was once a prominent leader of the BJP, a strongman from Ballari.
He launched the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls, bringing to an end his two-decade-long stint with the BJP.
Riding on his new party's symbol, he contested and won from the Gangavathi constituency.
However, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Reddy merged KRPP with BJP, formally rejoining the party.