Karnataka polls: BJP chief Amit Shah gave all clear to give tickets to Reddy brothers, says BS Yeddyurappa

BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in Karnataka, said party president Amit Shah gave the all clear to give tickets to the Reddy brothers, according to several media reports.

According to a report in  The Indian Express , the former Karnataka chief minister said, “There is nothing negative… It was cleared by our national president Amit Shah. Some of the Reddy brothers are contesting the polls but we have not given a ticket to Janardhan Reddy. If they work for the BJP, it will be beneficial for the party. This was the view, and it was accepted by the party leadership”.

Yeddyurappa defended the decision in an interview with India Today, and said the Reddys would help BJP win at the polls. He said he supports the BJP decision and added that the party was not supporting corruption.

As the upcoming Karnataka poll battle gathers steam, many have raised doubts over the apparent “sidelining” of Yeddyurappa .

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi beginning his Karnataka campaign  with a series of rallies on Tuesday , Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has demanded he address  concerns surrounding the Reddy brothers , Yeddyurappa, and farmers’ woes.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah demanded that Modi “end the hypocrisy” on his stand on corruption. “Would G Janardhan Reddy be joining your rallies here? You have given his family and friends eight tickets, hoping it will help BJP in (winning) 10-15 seats. And then you lecture us on corruption”, the Congress leader said.

With inputs from PTI