The differences between the Congress leaders in Bellary district and the Lad brothers, mining lessees and party MLAs, seem to have further deepened with a section of the leaders opposing the induction of the latter into the Ministry.
The Congress leaders had opposed fielding Mr. Anil Lad, Rajya Sabha member, from Bellary (city) in the Assembly elections owing to his association with the mining lobby.
Despite the differences, Mr. Anil Lad not only managed to get party ticket but he also won the election with a comfortable margin.
The Congress leaders have prepared a note giving details of the purported role of Mr. Anil Lad in alleged illegal mining activities, the padayatra taken out by the Congress, the agitations against illegal mining, etc. It is believed that they have circulated the note among senior leaders of the party at the State and national levels.
The note, a copy of which is available with The Hindu , states that the Lad brothers were never Congressmen till 2008. Prior to that Mr. Anil Lad had entered the Assembly on a BJP ticket and Mr. Santosh Lad on the Janata Dal (S) ticket.
Quoting a Lokayukta report, the note said that Mr. Anil Lad and Mr. Santosh Lad, who has won from Kalghatgi in Dharwad district, were among those in contact with the former Minister G. Janardhan Reddy, now lodged in Chanchalaguda jail in Hyderabad on the charge of illegal mining. The Lokayukta report recommended criminal action against the Lad brothers.
The note recalled that the mining lease held by V.S. Lad and Sons, owned by the Lad brothers, was among the 49 listed in ‘C’ category and ordered for cancellation by the Supreme Court.
