Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018: On BJP's second list, Reddy brother, tainted ministers, and rape accused

The party has so far announced 154 candidates for the 224 seats.

BENGALURU: Despite Amit Shah's public assurance that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nothing to do with mining baron G Janardhan Reddy, the latest list of candidates announced for  Karnataka Assembly Elections presents a different picture. 

The party has fielded the mining baron's elder brother G Somashekar Reddy from Bellary City. 

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

Somasekhara Reddy, currently out on bail, is reportedly accused of bribing a judge in a case involving Janardhan Reddy. 

Reacting to Somashekar Reddy's nomination, Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala 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! ”

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!

Krishnaiah Setty is also a BJP candidate, who was accused with BSY in land scam.https://t.co/g24sLWOxnG

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 16, 2018

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.

Apart from Somashekar Reddy, three more names in the nomination list have raised eyebrows – Krishnaiah Setty, Katta Subramanya Naidu and Hartal Halappa.

Setty, a minister in B S Yeddyurappa government, was accused of corruption, but later acquitted. Naidu was accused of being aware of a corruption scam around him.

Halappa was accused of raping a friend's wife in 2009. He, too, was later acquitted.

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