The Ballari (formerly Bellary) district of Karnataka, previously highlighted in national news for illegal mining activities, has now become a battleground for political rivalry among mining magnates. A conflict has now erupted between the mining tycoons of the state’s two major rivals — the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — as they vie for control over the district, which is known for its rich mineral deposits.
The situation turned so volatile on Thursday (January 1) that a gunshot was fired during a confrontation regarding a seemingly minor matter of putting up banners, resulting in one fatality. Ballari’s Superintendent of Police Pavan Nejjur was suspended as a fallout when the last reports came in.
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Gangawati MLA Janardhana Reddy, having returned to the political arena following his release on bail in connection with an illegal mining case, has now entered Ballari, prompting a struggle among mining magnates for supremacy. Against him is Nara Bharath Reddy, the Congress MLA of Bellary City constituency, located in Ballari district, and the son of N Suryanarayana Reddy, a long-time associate of Janardhana who previously had engaged in both business and politics with him.
It all started with installation of banners
The problem started on Thursday (January 1) when banners were being installed in Ballari ahead of the unveiling of a statue of sage Valmiki on Saturday (January 3). Congress workers were putting up the banners in front of Janardhana’s residence, which he objected to. When they did not heed and returned in the night to put up the banners, things turned worse.
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As the row escalated and clashes happened, senior leaders from both the Congress and the BJP arrived at the spot. Former state minister B Sriramulu reached Janardhana’s house while Satish Reddy, an aide of Bharath, also appeared with his supporters. With the crowd thickening, the situation soon turned volatile with even pelting of stones. It was amid this disturbance that one of Satish’s aides opened fire, and a Congress workers named Rajasekhar was fatally shot.
The police also intervened with lathi-charges and firing in the air to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. However, the matter had taken political colour with Janardhana and the BJP claiming that the entire episode was staged to kill Janardhana. Bharath also decided to visit the spot, adding more to the prevailing tension.
Reminding of ‘Republic of Bellary’ days
Prohibitory orders were imposed within a radius of 200 metres around Janardhana’s residence. The entire episode reminded one of the grim old days of the ‘Republic of Bellary’.
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When Janardhana was a state minister (2008-11), not many dared to raise any objection and illegal mining in Ballari was rampant. The Congress, which was in Opposition then, had mocked it as the ‘Republic of Miners’ Bellary’. The party had also organised a protest march from Bengaluru to Ballari (320 kilometres) in 2010 to highlight the failure of the then-BJP government, which helped to come to power in 2013. Thursday’s chaotic scenes brought back the memories of that unstable Ballari, where the rules of personal fiefdom defied state authority.
Old enmity behind New Year’s Day trouble
According to sources, an old enmity between Janardhana and Suryanarayana was behind Thursday’s trouble. The duo used to run the mining business together, and after Janardhana’s imprisonment in the mining scam, the political situation in Ballari changed, and the business, which was once united, fell apart.
After the Supreme Court refused Janardhana an entry in Ballari, a power vacuum was created in the region, which other leaders tried to fill, one among them being Bharath, who got the support of businessmen from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and won the election in 2023 to become a legislator. A collision seemed certain once Janardhana was allowed a re-entry in Ballari.
Claims and counterclaims
As Janardhana claimed after Thursday’s violence that it was a conspiracy aimed at murdering him, Bharath reacted by saying he is not somebody who indulges in “such petty political moves” and that he did not need to kill the BJP leader. He also asked whether Janardhana was someone big.
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In the past, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had played a proactive role against the Opposition BJP by leading a mega march from Bengaluru to Ballari, which culminated in the Grand-Old Party’s electoral success. Can he play an equally effective role this time, particularly with one of his party MLA’s name found involved in the latest violence? Will Nejjur’s suspension be enough?
(This article was first published in The Federal Karnataka)
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