Gali Janardhana Reddy’s Molakalmuru house hub of activity with 5,000 visitors a day

A simple two-storeyed house in the parched plains of Hanagal, a few kilometres from Molakalmuru town in Chitradurga district, is abuzz with activity. Election campaigners, mostly BJP volunteers, from the Molakalmuru assembly segment and the neighbouring Ballari district make a beeline here. They introduce themselves as BJP supporters and ask the security guard if “saheb” is at home. They are asked to wait.

A fortnight ago, when the poll scene in gathered momentum, the infamous mining barontur ned-politician Gali Janardhana Reddy shifted his base from Bengaluru to this house in Hanagal. With the courts barring him from entering Ballari — about 30 km away – the prime accused in the Rs 16,500-crore iron ore mining scam is here to support Molkalmuru’s BJP candidate B Sreeramulu.

Reddy’s rented house in Hanagal, with BJP flags all around, sees at least 4,000-5,000 visitors a day.

Embarrassed by negative feedback from voters over Reddy’s return to politics and sharing the stage with party chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, the BJP high command has reportedly asked Reddy to stay low-profile.