BENGALURU/ NEW DELHI: The BJP's fielding of Reddy brother in upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections has become a contentious factor, with Opposition pointing at the party's penchant for “the corrupt and the tainted.”


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Hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party announced G Somashekar Reddy's nomination from Bellary City, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi took to Twitter with an image of veteran BJP leader and Union Minister Sushma Swaraj blessing the Reddy brothers.


“Sushma Swaraj ji's favourite Bellary Brothers are back in the BJP! Amit Shah is ensuring that BJP's Karnataka team is no.1 in giving tickets to the corrupt& the tainted,” she wrote on the micro-blogging site.



The political fortune of three powerful Reddy brothers – Karunakara Reddy, Janardhana Reddy and Somashekhar Reddy – dwindled after the they were named in a mining scam.


Once seen as a close ally of Swaraj, the senior BJP leader distanced herself from the trio after they were named in the illegal mining scam.


Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also tweeted, “BREAKING! Amit Shah's prophecy of Yeddyurappa Govt being the 'Most Corrupt' ever in Karnataka is coming true- Janardhan Reddy's brother Somshekar Reddy gets BJP ticket! ”



Somasekhara Reddy, currently out on bail, is reportedly accused of bribing a judge in a case involving Janardhan Reddy. The BJP announced its second list of candidates for 82 constituencies in the Karnataka Assembly elections 2018 on Monday. With this, the party has now named its candidates for 154 of the 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly.


Karnataka goes to the polls in a single phase on May 12, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 15.