Politicos spend Rs 100 cr to win K'taka mining belt

COINING VOTES IN BELLARY: Mine owners hold the purse strings of political parties in the state.

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Keywords: Assembly elections 2008, Karnataka

Bellary: What is the colour of money? If you ask the Reddys and the Lads of Bellary, they would say it is rust red – the colour of iron ore, known popularly as the magnet for politicians in Karnataka

Rising steel prices and the global demand for steel has ensured that the pockets of about 50 mine owners in Bellary are thickly lined. And these mine owners hold the purse strings of each political party in the state, with the result that Bellary can make or even break governments in Bangalore.

“It's true that money is concentrated in a few hands. That's only because of mining, nothing else. The mine owners definitely have a say in the government upto an extent and I am not denying that,” BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said.

The mining mafia includes the BJP's chosen candidate, Janardhan Reddy, who is also the business partner of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's son.

Anil Lad, who currently holds a Congress ticket, is another politician who has left no stone unturned while campaigning in Bellary. “I stay in Sandur and my constituency was 70 km away in Koodalgi. The roads are bad and travelling took four hours. So it made sense for me to take a chopper,” Lad reasoned nonchalantly.

No amount is too great either when it comes to winning the elections. An estimated Rs 100 crore is being spent by the BJP, Congress and JD(S) candidates put together simply to secure the prized Bellary seat.

“They are buying votes. One politician is offering Rs 200, another Rs 300 and some even Rs 500. Every morning they go from one house to another distributing money. The BJP is giving the most – Rs 500 rupees per head and if you have an identity card they give Rs 1,000,” a voter from Bellary, Mohabbat Shah revealed.

The candidate who stands out from this group is Diwakar Babu, the JD(S)' hope. However, Bellary's iron-fisted arrack baron is not fazed by the sheer money power of the mining lords and JD(S) is using the arrack lobby to take on the miners' money power.

“My only aim is to finish it…I might even ally if necessary to finish the mining mafia,” Babu said.

Bellary has been dear to both the BJP and the Congress not just for economic reasons.

Following the historic election battle of 1999, when Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was pitted against BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, it has become a matter of honour for both parties to pull out all stops to take the seat. And passions run high here, especially, for Janardhan Reddy and Sriramulu, both protégés of Swaraj.

“The love and affection shown by srimathi Sushma Swaraj is something I have no words for. We have treated her like our mother and she treats us like her children. In fact, that's why we call her our mother,” Reddy told CNN-IBN.

As Bellary gears up to vote, money power will certainly play a key role in deciding the win. One can only cross fingers and hope that Bellary's needs – like drinking water, water for irrigation and basic infrastructure will be met by the candidate who sways the electorate.