Karnataka BJP MP Sreeramulu contesting assembly polls

Bengaluru  :  BJP's Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka's Ballari, B. Sreeramulu on Saturday filed his nomination papers to contest the May 12 assembly elections from Molakamuru seat in Chitradurga district.

Sreeramulu, 47, was the Health and Family Welfare and Tourism Minister from 2008-2011 in the state's first Bharatiya Janata Party government, but stepped down from the post and resigned from the party to protesting the alleged ill-treatment by the party to then cabinet minister and Ballari mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy. 

He had rejoined and contested the Lok Sabha election in 2014 as a BJP candidate from the rich mining district of Ballari.

Sreeramulu is also one of the two MPs among the candidates announced so far by the BJP to contest the assembly elections, with the other being party's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S.Yeddyurappa, who is MP from Shivamogga.

As per his poll affidavit, Sreeramulu declared his income and assets, as well of his wife Bhagyalakshmi, to be valued at Rs 18.17 crore, 

He has disclosed cash and bank deposits valued at over Rs 4.5 crore and other immovable assets including property and buildings worth over Rs 12 crore.

Till Friday, the BJP has announced 213 candidates to contest the 224-member Karnataka assembly polls. The party had, in its second list of 82 candidates released on April 16, fielded G. Somashekar Reddy, younger brother of Janardhan Reddy, from Ballari City segment.

The third list released on Friday had included Karunakar Reddy, another of Reddy's brothers, from Harapanahalli in Ballari.