G Janardhan Reddy

G Janardhana Reddy is an Indian politician and is currently associated with BSR Congress party. He is famously known as one of the richest politician of Karnataka. He was formerly associated with Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) and is known to be the kingmaker in Karnataka politics. He is also been implicated in the illegal mining scandal in Bekkary and Belekeri port scam and has also been arrested in the mining scandal. After being arrested and sent to judicial custody, all three Reddy brothers along with the then Chief Minister Yedyurappa were removed from their ministerial positions. Subsequently, they broke away from the BJP. While Yeddyurappa formed the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) party, the Reddy brothers joined up with B Sriramulu to form the BSR Congress party. He is also known as 'Mining King'.

Born on 11^th January 1967 in Chitoor, Andhra Pradesh, Janardhan Reddy along with his brothers G Karunakara Reddy and G Somashekhara Reddy were born in a Telugu speaking family. His father Changa Reddy was a police constable. Janardhan Reddy along with his brothers grew up in Bellary. He never had any college education and he started his journey to become one of the richest politicians as a chit fund agent. Later in 1990, he started Ennoble India Savings and Investments India and later news daily titled Ennama Kannada Nadu. However, later in 1998, his company Ennoble India Savings collapsed leaving unpaid debts of over Rs 200 Crores. He came into limelight in 1999 after the Congress party did not give the election ticket to loyal Sriramulu and after this decision of the Congress party, the Reddy brothers went to BJP. At the same time they came into contact with senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj as she contested Lok Sabha elections against Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Sushma Swaraj lost the elections in that elections even though Reddy brothers helped her lot. After this, the Reddys became close associates of the BJP. In Andhra Pradesh, Reddy brothers were with the BJP but they were close friends of YSR who belong to Congress Party. Later, Reddy became close friends of YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy and they partnered to start Brahmani Steels in YSR's home town Kadapa. In year 2001, Janardhana Reddy set up the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) with an initial capital of Rs. 10 lakh and later in year 2002, he became the director. Due to his strong political connection and background, OMC started to control or take over the other mining companies and reported a turnover of R 35 crores by 2004. By March 2009, OMC reported turnover of Rs.3000 Crore. Reddy now controlled Andhra Pradesh and they enjoyed close relations with YSR - the then Chief Minister of Karnataka a congress party leader. Reddy brothers became so powerful in mid 2009 that they in a compromise with Yeddyurappa, forced the removal of a Karnataka's minister Shobha Karandlaje and chief secretary (IAS officer) V.P. Baligar.

In July 2011, the Lokayukta of Karnataka, Santosh Hegde, published a report on the illegal mining activities in the Bellary Region. Janardhana Reddy was accused of completely rigging the iron ore mining in this area and defrauding the government. Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation officials had clues to tax evasion and found that Reddy had entered into a MoU with a one-dollar company of Singapore to camouflage the company's income suppression. They raided the place along with other investigative agencies and formed a report which was the basis of the report on illegal mining. Reddy is said to have designed a "Zero Risk System" of iron ore mining, where he seamlessly provided protection to unauthorized and unaccounted mining, with active connivance from government officials at all levels. The rule of the iron ore mafia under his command was called the "Republic of Bellary" in which no external control or governance mechanism had any effect. Janardhana Reddy was arrested on 5 September 2011 by the CBI, and taken to Hyderabad, the capital of the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh.  He is accused of being involved in illegal mining of iron ore in Bellary in Karnataka and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. This investigation is the culmination of a recommendation to Income Tax Department and CBI by the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and not directly related to the findings of Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde.  After the CBI court heard his lawyers representations, he along with his brother-in-law, B. V. Srinivas Reddy were remanded to judicial custody and sent to Chanchalguda Jail.  The CBI in its ongoing investigations also arrested senior officers of the IAS and IRS.  A CBI court on 4 August 2012, extended the judicial custody of Janardhana Reddy and four others arrested in the illegal mining case till 7 September. SC granted bail to mining baron Janardhan Reddy on 21st Jan 2015.

He has been recently in news for the big fat wedding held even after the demonetization of 500 and 1000 notes.