Once a Congress stronghold, Ballari saw Sonia Gandhi beat Sushma Swaraj before the controversial Reddy brothers delivered the seat to BJP for 14 years.
Ballari Lok Sabha bypoll is being seen as an extension of the rivalry on display in the May election, when Siddaramaiah defeated Sriramulu from Badami.
BJP hopes Janardhan Reddy, who faces more charges than most politicians, will deliver most of the 23 seats in his territory — 10% of the assembly’s strength.
Since their rise in 2008, the Reddys have promised to convert Ballari into one of India’s most progressive cities, but nothing has changed on the ground so far.
In November last year, three different CBI branches dropped the investigation into the Rs. 16,500 crore Ballari illegal mining scam. Experts weigh in on BJP's decision to give tickets to family members of the accused.
The CBI had, in November, said it could not take forward the probe into the mining scam. But in March, Siddaramaiah announced an SIT to continue the probe.
The dynamics between Europe and Russia have gone so south that mending fences looks like an uphill task—even as the US swings between sanctions and olive branches.
Centre for Science and Environment in new report makes case for rationalising GST on waste material, saying most informal operators can’t afford high tax & it also hinders recycling.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
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