BJP in soup: Ramesh Jarkiholi threatens saffron leadership

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls, the Gokak BJP MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi has given a jolt to the ruling BJP by saying that he will not contest the election from Gokak if his friend is not given a ticket to contest from the Athani constituency in Belagavi district.

By this statement, Ramesh wished to check-mate former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi who had lost to Mahesh Kumatalli of the Congress in the 2018 Assembly polls. In spite of defeat in the election, Savadi was made a member of the State Legislative Council and also made deputy chief minister, by the then chief minister B.S.Yediyurappa. This surprised many because such alternative arrangements were usually done for the CM candidates.

Savadi is not known to be a mass leader or a popular face in the party’s leadership. Lingayat community but still he got the Dy.CM post. When Ramesh Jarkiholi joined the BJP along with 15 other Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs, even Mahesh Kumtalli followed his political mentor.

The Gokak MLA made efforts to get Kumatalli a ministerial berth in the BJP government headed by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, but unfortunately for him and his protégé, the alleged sex CDs of Ramesh became public. The rest is history. Ramesh told reporters in Vijayapura that he would not contest from the Gokak constituency if Mahesh Kumatalli was not given the BJP ticket from the Athani constituency.

By saying this, Ramesh wants his man to be given the BJP ticket in place of Laxman Savadi who wishes to contest from the Athani constituency. This has put the saffron party leaders in a predicament because it cannot afford to lose either Ramesh Jarkiholi or Laxman Savadi. With no leadership in the Belgavi district which has 16 Assembly seats, the BJP was at the mercy of Ramesh due to his control over a few Assembly seats in the district.

The BJP knew well that Savadi, despite being a lingayat, was not a mass leader to help the BJP win the maximum number of seats in Belagavi which shares a border with Maharashtra. Sources told News Trail that Rameh's demand has come as a big surprise for them and a decision will be taken in consultation with the Delhi leaders