Balakrishnareddy. P

P. Balakrishna Reddy, 57, is a seasoned politician from Hosur with a career spanning multiple parties and significant ministerial experience, but marked by a serious legal conviction. Starting his political journey with the BJP, he later joined the AIADMK where he rose to prominence, serving as chairman of Hosur municipality before winning the assembly seat in 2016 with 89,510 votes (41.59% vote share). He held important ministerial portfolios including Animal Husbandry and Youth Welfare and Sports Development. However, his political career was derailed on January 7, 2019, when he was convicted under IPC sections 147 (rioting) and 341 (wrongful restraint) for a 1998 incident in Bagalur village, Krishnagiri. The court sentenced him to three years imprisonment, leading to immediate disqualification from the assembly and loss of his ministerial position in March 2019. Though the Supreme Court suspended his conviction to allow appeal, the legal cloud persisted. A by-election was held in 2019 which the DMK won, with AIADMK's substitute candidate losing by 23,213 votes. In the 2021 elections, Reddy attempted a comeback but lost to DMK's Y. Prakaash by 12,367 votes, securing 105,864 votes (42.67%) compared to the winner's 118,231 votes (47.65%). With declared assets of Rs. 98.91 crore (including 94.28 crore in immovable assets) and liabilities of Rs. 2.83 crore, he lists his profession as agriculture, business, and pensioner. His 12th-pass educational background contrasts with his substantial wealth accumulation. Voters should note the significant discrepancy between his affidavit (declaring zero criminal cases) and documented court records showing a conviction for rioting. While his conviction was suspended on appeal, his disqualification and subsequent electoral losses suggest diminished voter confidence. His attempt to return to the assembly comes amid AIADMK's struggles as the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu.