Karnataka: Reddy brothers support base shrinks

BANGALORE: With senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj publicly disowning them and their support base within the party swiftly shrinking, life has come full circle for the Bellary Reddy brothers, whose rise in state politics and the mining business (from just being sons of a police constable) is no less thrilling than a Bollywood flick.
Not long ago, the Reddy brothers, due to their enormous money power and aggressive politics, came across as uncrowned kings in the government as well as in the state BJP. None, including Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, had the guts to speak against the Reddys, leave alone interfering in their portfolios and administration of Bellary district. The downward trend of the Reddys had started with the sudden and unexpected death of former Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Rajashekhar Reddy, who patronised them for getting mining licences to start a steel plant.