B Sreeramulu picks loyalist Oblaesh ahead of sister for Bellary rural polls

BANGALORE: Former Lok Sabha member J Shantha's political career seems to have hit a dead end with the state BJP favouring Oblaesh, a former clerk and loyalist of her elder brother and sitting MP B Sreeramulu for Bellary Rural assembly seat where by-election is due on August 21.
Shantha, 40, was widely believed to be the front runner for the party ticket after she stayed away from the recent Lok Sabha polls and paved the way for her elder brother to contest. However, the party has belied such expectations.

“We have not interfered with the selection of candidates in both Shikaripur and Bellary Rural. We have just endorsed the recommendation of Sreeramulu with respect to Bellary Rural and BS Yeddyurappa in Shikaripur as they held these seats earlier,“ a senior BJP leader told ET, adding, “we treat these seats as autonomous regions and don't interfere with the decision of these leaders“. Shikaripur in Shimoga district and Sadalaga in Belgaum district are going to the polls along with Bellary Rural.

Interestingly, the BJP had fielded Sreeramulu in Lok Sabha elections despite stiff opposition from senior leader Sushma Swaraj. However, Sreeramulu, who is considered close to the alleged kingpin of mining scam G Janardhana Reddy, won and later vacated his assembly seat, Bellary Rural.

“This time, Sreeramulu was against any member of his family contesting the polls. He wanted to stay clear of indulging in family politics,“ a local leader in Bellary said, but could not explain why exactly the MP chose to ignore the claims of his sister or his uncle Sanna Phakeerappa, the former BJP MP from Raichur.

The three assembly seats going to the bypolls were expected to see the MPs swapping their membership with the party ticket for their sons in Shikaripur and Sadalaga (Congress) and sister in Bellary Rural. As expected, the BJP has cleared the names of former MP BY Raghavendra for Shikaripur and Ma hantesh Kavatagimath from Sadalaga.

Obalesh, who is educated up to secondary school, was working in Bellary Zilla Panchayat's engineering division. He has been actively working for Sreeramulu as his official full-time private secretary after resigning his government job about a year ago. When Sreeramulu was the MLA, Obalesh was managing the affairs of the constituency. The party leaders interpret Sreeramulu's decision as a “reward“ for Obalesh's staunch loyalty. Bellary Rural is a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

It may be too early to write off Shantha, though, some analysts say, arguing that Sreeramulu may have some other plans for her and he may have decided to go for his lieutenant for the time being as he is confident the latter would toe his line.

There were many other aspirants for the ticket in the BJP, but fielding any of them would have meant end of authority for Sreeramulu in his former constituency, a political leader in Bellary said.