Barred from Ballari, mining baron pitches camp at farmhouse nearby

MOLAKALMURU: The duplex sitting on a 16-acre plot, surrounded by coconut palms and neem saplings, off the Ballari-Challakere Road in Molakalmuru taluk, about 70km from

Ballari

city, looks like any other farmhouse.


But fluttering BJP flags, two life-size cutouts of party leaders Amit Shah and B Sreeramulu, and a fleet of SUVs are a giveaway that it is here mining baron G

Janardhana

Reddy has pitched camp. Not allowed to enter his home turf Ballari by the Supreme Court, and with the BJP leadership’s public proclamation that he is to keep off campaigning, Janardhana is working out of the rented farmhouse, masterminding the election campaign of associate Sreeramulu, BJP candidate from Molakalmuru.

Reddy, however, says he misses going to Ballari. The fivebedroom farmhouse is owned by N P Venkatesh, 57, who is into paddy trade. A 10-member crew is busy through the day, preparing tea, avalakki (the region’s staple flattened rice snack), rice and sambar for the endless stream of visitors. Venkateshsaid that Reddy’s people had approached him with an offer to buy the house, but he declined.

“I was hesitant to even let it out, but my wife convinced me saying leaders of all parties come to our house and Reddy is in distress,” he said. Asked about the rent, Venkatesh said, “I told Reddy to give me Rs 101 after the election, which I will donate to a temple. My wife has moved to Bengaluru to stay with our son, who is doing his MBA, and Ihave taken up a room nearby.”