Bengaluru: Gangavathi MLA and former Minister G. Janardhana Reddy returned to BJP fold at the party office in Malleswaram here this morning, boosting the prospects of saffron party ahead of Lok  Sabha election.

BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra formally welcomed Reddy, also a mining baron, into the party, by handing over the party flag, in the presence of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

Reddy’s wife Aruna Lakshmi and Dr. Thomas P. John, son of former Minister late T. John, also joined the party along with Reddy.

Reddy’s good old friend and former Minister B. Sriramulu, who is contesting the ensuing LS election from Ballari (ST Reserve) Constituency, was also present.

Speaking to media persons later, Reddy said, “It’s like home-coming for me as I am reuniting with my mother. I have joined the party unconditionally without expecting anything in return, as BJP is in my blood. I have also decided to merge my Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha (KRPP) with BJP to achieve the target of making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again.”

Reddy, who had floated KRPP ahead of Assembly elections in 2023, after snapping his two-decade long ties with BJP, had won the elections from Gangavathi in Koppal district.

Now, following his re-induction into BJP, the party is set to gain more with Reddy having a clout of his own especially in Ballari, Koppal and Vijayanagar districts.

Having cemented his political career with the rise of BJP in Karnataka with Yediyurappa forming the Government in 2008, Reddy later fell into oblivion with a slew of illegal mining cases filed against him by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Ballari MP B.N. Devendrappa, Bangalore Central MP P.C. Mohan, former Ministers C.T. Ravi and Anand Singh, MLC N. Ravikumar and other leaders were present.