Ex-MLA who took on political mentor Sriramulu, returns to BJP

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Setting aside political rivalry, former MLA of Molkalmur in Chitradurga district, S.Thippeswamy joined the BJP after the sitting MLA and Transport Minister B. Sriramulu decided to fight the coming Assembly election from any constituency in his native Ballari district.

Tippeswamy got elected to the State Assembly from Molkalmur on the ticket of the BSR Congress Party floated by Sriramulu in 2013. However, when Sriramulu decided to contest from the same constituency, Thippeswamy was furious and entered the battle as an Independent candidate and lost to Sriramulu by over 40,000 votes.

Subsequently, he joined the Congress Party and showed interest to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but his plea was rejected by party bosses, Thippeswamy went into oblivion for some time and became active after Sriramulu expressed his intentions to contest from Ballari district and not Molakalmur.

On Sunday, Thippeswamy joined the saffron party in the presence of Sriramulu, MLC K.S.Naveen, and Chitradurga MLA G.H.Thippareddy. In 2018, Molkalmur witnessed violent incidents when supporters of Thippeswamy stoned Sriramulu’s car and damaged the glass windows.

Now after five years, the former MLA has buried the hatchet and decided to join the BJP which may give him the Molakalmur ticket due to his popularity in the constituency. Sriramulu termed Thippeswamy as his brother and said he joined the BJP out of his affection for him. “I regret the unfortunate things that happened in 2018. It was a bad time which will not happen again”