Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged voters in Sandur to reject the Reddy brothers in the upcoming by-election, accusing the BJP of trying to politically finish him off through agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Income Tax Department. In his campaign for Congress candidate E. Annapurna, Siddaramaiah recalled the period when Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brothers held significant power in Ballari, asserting that their influence was so strong that officials defied then-Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.
He shared incidents where, during his previous visits to Ballari, he faced intimidation from the Reddy brothers’ supporters. Once, while campaigning for a byelection, he was told not to disclose that he had been given water at a house due to fear of the Reddy brothers’ terror. He also described a time when he and C.M. Ibrahim were not allowed to address public meetings in major centers and had to gather people near a temple to speak.
Siddaramaiah reminded voters of the “atrocities and terror” the Reddy brothers had inflicted upon the region, particularly through illegal mining and extortion. He emphasized the need to prevent them from returning to power in Sandur to protect the region from their rule of lawlessness and corruption.
The Chief Minister also took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly denying Karnataka its rightful share of funds, accusing the Union government of injustice in the 15th Finance Commission, which deprived the state of ₹17,000 crore. He further pointed out that Congress had successfully secured special status for Kalyana Karnataka, a promise the BJP had failed to fulfill.
In his appeal to voters, Siddaramaiah urged them to defeat the BJP in the Sandur by-election to safeguard the region’s future. He criticized the BJP for its attempts to reintroduce a “Republic of Ballari” culture through fear tactics. He promised that if Congress candidate Annapurna wins, significant development works like providing drinking water, building roads, and schools would be carried out by Congress leaders Santosh Lad and E. Tukaram.