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Will fight for CM’s post in next term of govt: Jarkiholi
He has the support of about 40 legislators in north Karnataka and of about half-a-dozen legislators who lost the last election, party leaders said
Congress MLA and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Satish Jarkiholi on July 28 said that he would contest for the chief minister’s post in the next term of the government.
He has the support of about 40 legislators in north Karnataka and of about half-a-dozen legislators who lost the last election, party leaders said.
Representing Yamakanamaradi constituency in Belagavi district for the third consecutive term, Jarkiholi, who is known as the mastermind in politics, had said five years back that he would be the chief ministerial candidate after ten years. “I’m aiming the CM’s post in the next term for which preparations are underway,” Jarkiholi said again on Friday.
Known for his tactical skills, Satish was instrumental in helping former chief minister Siddaramaiah win from Badami in Bagalkote district in 2018, local leaders requesting anonymity said.
Jarkiholi also on good terms with his counterparts in other parties. “If he gets such an opportunity, we will definitely support him as he is not only a good worker, non-corrupt, but he is also a man with simple life,” a few BJP legislatures from north Karnataka region told HT on condition of anonymity. Confirming the BJP legislators’ stand, sources close to Jarkiholi told HT that many legislators from other parties have promised him of backing his candidature and assured of responding positively at a suitable time.
However, political expert Ashok Chandaragi told HT that Congress never considers the support of the number of legislators for a leader but focused on secularism, social justice and mainly on the internal opinion of the legislators to choose the chief of the government. “If considered the support of legislators, Bangarappa, Veerappa Moily, Devraj Urs, Dharam Singh would never have become the chief ministers, whose castes were not more than 2% in the state,” he said.
Chandaragi who is also a senior political journalist said, if paraded 70-80 legislators before the high command to claim for the chief of the government post it would not be considered in Congress and added that he would welcome if Jarkiholi becomes the chief minister of the state. “Neighbouring Dharwad district produced a few chief ministers but Belagavi the biggest district with 18-constituencies has not yet seen a person in that post,” he said.
Identified in the close circle of chief minister Siddaramaiah, Jarkiholi’s claim for his proposed post getting weight as his political guru Siddaramaiah, before last election had announced that it would be his last election who is also expected to support the latter in the next term government.
Since he is known for his organisational skills gathering the votes of masses, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, two years ago had issued 40-seat winning target to Jarkiholi in northen part of the state, which he successfully delivered. Commenced his with 50-seat target including ‘Mission Dozen’ target in his hometown Belagavi, he won 11 in the district.
The Congress, when his elder brother, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi was the in-charge minister in the JD(S)-Congress coalition government led by Kumaraswamy was also targeted 12-seats in the district, however finished with 8-seats. The political development brought down the government were three Congress legislators Mahesh Kumatolli, Shrimanth Patil and Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from the legislative membership, joined BJP, and won from that party. Working just with five seats in 18-constituencies in the district, Satish Jarkiholi’s work was remarkable for bringing back the past glory to the grand-old party in the district.
“If Satish’ brother Ramesh Jarkiholi can bring down the JD(S)-Congress coalition government and establish BJP government just with 17-legislators, much more can be done with 40-legislators,” former Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) member Annasaheb Hanchinmani, a political expert from Congress said. “The number that Congress has won in the leadership of Satish Jarkiholi in our zone may go up as the Jarkiholi family has relatives also in Kalyan Karnataka which has more population of SC and ST communities,” he said.
Having political hold in the northern part of the state including Kalyana Karnataka, the four among the five-brotherJarkiholi family has elected representatives in all the major parties and one among them will be in ruling party with a berth in the cabinet. “Jarkiholi family ensures one among them in the ministerial berth since 20-years for which Satish is the mastermind,” said KPCC SC unit state convenor Gaju Dharnaik.
