BENGALURU: G Janardhana Reddy, a prominent BJP leader, was disqualified as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday after a special CBI court convicted him in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) illegal iron ore mining case. As a result, a seat in the state assembly has now become vacant.
The Karnataka Assembly issued a notification stating, “Following the conviction of G Janardhana Reddy, Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Gangavati Constituency by the Court of the Principal Special Judge for CBI cases in Hyderabad in CC.No.1 of 2012, he is disqualified from the membership of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly effective from the date of conviction, May 6, 2025, in accordance with the provisions of Article 191(1) (e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.”
The notification further mentioned, “This disqualification will remain in effect for an additional six years following his release, unless the conviction is stayed by a competent Court.” A special CBI court in Hyderabad recently convicted Reddy and three others in the OMC illegal iron ore mining case after a lengthy legal battle spanning nearly 14 years.
The court sentenced them to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each individual. Reddy was identified as accused number two, and the court also levied a Rs 1 lakh fine on the company.
Following the judgment, the CBI took Janardhana Reddy and others into custody, transferring them to prison.
Janardhana Reddy had established the Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) before the 2023 Assembly polls, ending his two-decade-long association with the BJP, and successfully secured the Gangavati assembly seat
