BENGALURU: The BJP state leadership is said to have initiated moves to pacify former minister and mining baron from Bellary, G Janardhan Reddy. Reddy, who was keen to play an active role in the Assembly election for the party was peeved after BJP national president Amit Shah stated that the party has nothing to do with him.

Shah's statement had not gone down well with Reddy's loyalists in the party, including BJP MP B Sriramulu. Bellary leaders had played a crucial role in party's victory in 2008 elections and Sriramulu is seen as a strong ST (Nayaka community) leader in the party.

On Wednesday, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa said the party high command will discuss the issue with Sriramulu and take a decision. He, however, maintained that there was no question of giving party tickets to any tainted leaders. During his recent visit to the state, Shah had stated that the party had nothing to do with Reddy.

Reddy, who still retains influence among the voters in many pockets of Ballari, Chitradurga and other parts of the state, is said to be upset by Shah's statement. BJP candidates in Ballari district would be keen to get his support as any trouble at this stage can do a lot of damage to the party in the region.

Sources in the party said Reddy will work for BJP during the elections and strive for the victory of the party candidates. More importantly, he wants to tighten his grip over the Ballari and neighbouring districts where he and his friend Ballari MP Sriramulu have a hold over the electorate. Sriramulu had earlier stated that his close friend will be supporting BJP candidates in the general elections. He, however, had refused to comment about the party president's statement.Reddy was arrested in illegal mining case is out on bail. He is barred from entering Ballari.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday hit back at BJP president J P Nadda over his allegation that the opposition party was pushing a politically motivated narrative on the issue of Manipur, saying his letter to Mallikarjun Kharge is a "4D exercise - denial, distortion, distraction, and defamation".

Nadda on Friday accused the Congress of pushing an "incorrect, false and politically" motivated narrative on the issue of Manipur unrest, as he hit back at Kharge for seeking President Droupadi Murmu's intervention and alleging the Centre's complete failure in defusing the crisis.

In a rejoinder to Kharge, Nadda claimed the repercussions of the Congress's "abject failure" in dealing with local issues in Manipur when it was in power are being felt even today.

Hitting back at Nadda, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Congress President Kharge ji wrote to the President of India on Manipur. Apparently to counter that letter, the BJP President has now written to the Congress President."

"Naddaji's letter is, not surprisingly, full of falsehoods and is a 4D exercise - denial, distortion, distraction, and defamation," he said in a post on X.

The people of Manipur are yearning for normalcy, peace, and harmony to return to the state at the earliest, Ramesh said.

"Towards this end they are asking four simple questions: When will the PM visit the state? How much longer will the CM continue to be inflicted on the state, when a majority of MLAs are not in his support? When will a full-time Governor for the state be appointed? When will the Union Home Minister take responsibility for his abject failures in Manipur?" Ramesh said.

In his letter, Nadda told Kharge what is shocking is how repeated attempts are being made by the Congress party to sensationalise the situation in Manipur, he told Kharge.

He said Kharge seemed to have forgotten that not only did his government legitimise the illegal migration of foreign militants to India, the then home minister P Chidambaram had signed treaties with them.

The Congress has been attacking the prime minister for not visiting Manipur, besides slamming the Centre for its handling of the situation in the ethnic strife-torn northeastern state.

More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.