Bangalore: BJP today inducted BSR Congress Chief B Sriramulu back into its fold after its top brass decided to allow his entry, but not his party's merger following public opposition by its leader Sushma Swaraj.
Sriramulu, who left BJP in November 2011 and formed his own outfit, was once a close aide of mining baron Janardhana Reddy, now in jail in Andhra Pradesh over an illegal mining case.
“...Sriramulu has rejoined the party today, Karnataka BJP wholeheartedly welcomes him; all necessary legal procedures will follow,” state BJP president Prahalad Joshi told reporters here.
Sriramulu's homecoming came a day after BJP Parliamentary Board disfavoured the merger but decided to field him as candidate on the party ticket for the Bellary Lok Sabha seat.
BSR Congress had declared its decision on merger but it ran into trouble after Swaraj publicly opposed his and mining baron Reddy brothers' entry into BJP, saying such “tainted” leaders should not be allowed to be associated with the party.
