Bengaluru/UNI: G Janardhana Reddy, a prominent mining baron and the sole MLA from Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha, joined the BJP along with his wife Aruna Lakshmi.

This move announced here on Monday in the presence of BJP leaders BS Yediyurappa and Vijayendra Yediyurappa, marked Reddy's return to the BJP fold.

Reddy expressed his unwavering support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasising his decision to join the party without any conditions or expectations for positions.

"Today I joined the BJP by merging my party with BJP. I am so happy I've come back to my home to support Modi for the 3rd time. I joined the party without any conditions. I don't need any positions," Reddy told reporters.

Yediyurappa hailed Reddy's decision, seeing it as a move that would bolster the BJP's strength and potentially enhance the party's performance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. The BJP aims to secure all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Previously, Reddy had founded the Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha and had won the Gangawati assembly seat in the state elections.

He had also served as a minister in the BJP government under Yediyurappa before encountering legal troubles related to a mining scandal.

With the Lok Sabha elections scheduled in two phases on April 26 and May 7, and vote counting slated for June 4, Reddy's entry into the BJP, along with his spouse and associates, is perceived as a significant electoral asset for the party in Karnataka.