The selection of Devendrappa, who recently quit the Congress, as BJP candidate for Ballari Lok Sabha seat, is being seen as an indication that the party is looking beyond the ‘Ballari Reddy brothers’ to wrest this seat from the Congress.
The BJP, which hitherto depended mainly on the Reddy brothers, especially the former Minister B. Sriramulu, for issues related to Ballari, now appears to be looking towards “rebel” Congress leaders from Belagavi as Mr. Devendrappa happens to be their relative. Also, there were talks that the Jarkiholi brothers of Belagavi were likely to take an active interest in Ballari politics, in place of the Reddy brothers, to consolidate the Valmiki (Naik) community; and that they might have sought the ticket to Mr. Devendrappa. Jarkiholis’ sister is Mr. Devendrappa’s daughter-in-law.