Ramalinga Reddy is real Bengaluru Development Minister, G Parameshwara only a rubber stamp: BJP

Gangambike Mallikarjun, corporator hailing from former minister R Ramalinga Reddy's camp, bagged the mayor's post recently.

The contest between two Congress aspirants Sowmya Shivakumar and Gangambike became volatile with the former garnering support from DK Shivakumar, NA Harris and G Parameshwar. However, Reddy being in power for seven times as MLA and holding the post of minister for four times in the past, ensured his supporter gets the post.

"Bengaluru gets a large share in the budget and every MLA here wants to have a mayor of his choice so that funds can be channelised into assemblies of his choice. Ramalinga Reddy was successful the last two decades, but have you seen any positive development?," said S Prakash, Spokesperson, Karnataka  BJP Unit and added that.

Coming to Reddy's support, R Prakash, JD(S) Bengaluru City Unit President opined that these kind of statements from BJP is "out of jealousy". "Instead of trying to create a divide between Cong-JD(S) rule in Bengaluru City Corporation, the BJP should remember its role from 2010 to 2015. They pledged the city's heritage buildings and made Bengaluru as garbage city," he lamented.
 
Ramalinga Reddy, who earlier represented Jayanagar assembly, was instrumental in deciding mayors whenever Congress corporators won more seats. In 2013, Reddy became Bengaluru district in-charge minister and he chose his close aide N Manjunath Reddy as mayor, later G  Padmavathi and R Sampath Raj eere made mayors only after Reddy cleared their names.

And now even when he is just an MLA, he still calls the shots by getting his supporter Gangamibike Mallikarjun, a two-time corporator. "By getting the mayor of his choice, Ramalinga Reddy will have more funds for his BTM  Assembly and Jayanagar, which is his daughter Sowmya Reddy's constituency. Reddy shares a good equation with leaders from BJP and JD(S) too. This shows he has more power than Bengaluru district in-charge  minister G Parameshwara," said a Congress source.

Ramalinga Reddy told Asianet Newsable that he is given the charge to form a council and ensure mayorship of Bengaluru from the party and hence he is doing it for the last two decades.

"I take every corporator into confidence and hence these responsibilities are given. There is nothing like Parameshwar will just be a rubber stamp. All these slogans are BJP sponsored,"  Reddy said.

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• Gangambika Mallikarjun
• Sowmya Shivakumar
• G Papameshwara
• BBMP Mayor
• DK Shivakumar
• Ramalinga Reddy
• karnataka BJP
• Congress