Sriramulu sounds an optimistic note

BSR Congress president Sriramulu is spitting fire. Whether it is Karunakara Reddy or BS Yeddyurappa, he plans to take them on. “We will field our candidates in all 224 assembly constituencies in the state in the next assembly elections,” he said on Friday.

Sriramulu claimed that many MLAs and MPs are in touch with him. “But I will not pressure anyone to join my party,” he said.

Sriramulu, a close confidant of former ministers Jarardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy, declined to comment on the continuance of Karunakara Reddy in the BJP.

Expressing confidence that his party would put up a good show in the next assembly elections, Sriramulu recalled how the entire BJP government was against him when he contested the by-election as an Independent and emerged victorious even though Karunakara Reddy had then campaigned for BJP.

Referring to infighting within the BJP, he said there were opposition members within BJP. The situation within BJP was like a ticking dynamite which would explore any moment.

Sriramulu, who recently completed a padayatra from Bidar to Bangalore is ready for one more walkathon ‘Swabhimani Sakalpa Yatre’ from Karwar to Ramangara. It would be launched on July 29 and traverse a distance of 1,300km to highlight the issues of equality, social justice and all-round development of Karnataka, he said.

He accused the UPA government at the centre of discriminating against Karnataka in providing drought relief aid for the state and criticised the BJP government in the state for its total failure in taking up drought relief works as the leaders were engaged in fight for ministerial berths.