The BJP central leadership has put the proposed Ballari–Bengaluru padayatra, scheduled to begin on January 17, on hold while permitting only a public meeting in Ballari, dealing a setback to Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy and former minister B. Sriramulu.
The padayatra was announced after the January 1 violence in Ballari between supporters of Janardhan Reddy and Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy, which resulted in the death of a Congress worker. Reddy and Sriramulu had planned the march to protest what they termed Congress “goondaism.”
Party sources said the high command approved only the public meeting, not the march. BJP leaders, however, insisted the padayatra is not cancelled but merely postponed pending formal approval.
Ballari district BJP president Anilkumar Naidu said the agitation would be conducted in phases, while MLC N. Ravikumar said the final decision would be taken at the party’s Core Committee meeting on January 17.
State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra attributed the delay to organisational reasons at the national level and said he would discuss the issue with central leaders during his Delhi visit on January 19–20.
Political observers believe the leadership is cautious due to the local nature of the Ballari rivalry, Janardhan Reddy’s ongoing legal issues, and concerns over community sensitivities linked to the violence.
