BJP leader Santosh Kakamari has lost the no-confidence motion in the Sankonatti gram panchayat (GP) after 42 of the 56 GP members voted in favour of the motion and 14 abstained, officials familiar with the matter said.
Chikkodi assistant commissioner SS Sampagavi, election returning officer, declared the results on Tuesday while stating that 42 of the 56 GP members voted in favour of the no-confidence motion, with 14 abstaining. “Gram panchayat president and BJP leader Santosh Kakamari has failed to prove his majority and has consequently lost his post. A new president will be elected on a date set by the Belagavi divisional commissioner,” he said.
The Sankonatti GP, with its 56 members, is the largest gram panchayat in Karnataka. Kakamari, elected president in 2023, was previously a close ally of Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi and had the backing of former Athani BJP MLA Mahesh Kumatolli. Both Kumatolli and Kagwad Congress MLA Srimanth Patil were among the defectors who helped Jarkiholi orchestrate the collapse of the HD Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2019.
In December last year, over 40 GP members submitted the no-confidence motion against Kakamari to the Chikkodi assistant commissioner, who scheduled the vote for December 31. In the lead-up to the vote, Kakamari attempted to secure his majority by moving 35 members to a resort aligned with Jarkiholi’s supporters. However, Athani Congress MLA Lakshman Savadi countered by rallying 30 members back to his camp, ultimately leading to Kakamari’s ousting.
{{/usCountry}}In December last year, over 40 GP members submitted the no-confidence motion against Kakamari to the Chikkodi assistant commissioner, who scheduled the vote for December 31. In the lead-up to the vote, Kakamari attempted to secure his majority by moving 35 members to a resort aligned with Jarkiholi’s supporters. However, Athani Congress MLA Lakshman Savadi countered by rallying 30 members back to his camp, ultimately leading to Kakamari’s ousting.
{{/usCountry}}On the day of the vote, 42 members backed the no-confidence motion, while 14, reportedly Jarkiholi supporters, abstained. Some members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had faced pressure from Jarkiholi and Kumatolli but ultimately sided with Savadi for the GP’s development.
“Savadi is from our region, and we trust his vision for Sankonatti. Most of us voted for the NCM or abstained to show our solidarity,” they said.
Lakshman Savadi welcomed the result, and said: “The members have chosen progress over groupism. The Sankonatti GP can now focus on development and maintaining harmony. All 56 members are united for a brighter future.” He previously served as Karnataka’s transport minister in the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government.
Jarkiholi was unavailable for comment. However, his daughter-in-law, Priyanka Jarkiholi said: “The vote reflects a commitment to growth and harmony while rejecting communal politics,” she said.