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Savadi’s chances for cabinet position low
Congress MLA Lakshman Savadi’s chances of joining Siddaramaiah’s cabinet have diminished.
Belagavi: Congress MLA Lakshman Savadi’s chances of joining Siddaramaiah’s cabinet have diminished due to a smaller-than-expected victory margin for the party’s candidate in his assembly constituency during the Lok Sabha elections.
Savadi had won from the Athani constituency during last year’s state legislative assembly elections. His assembly constituency is part of the Chikkodi Lok Sabha seat, where Congress had fielded Priyanka Jarkiholi.
In a recent campaign rally in Athani, both chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar had promised Savadi a cabinet position if he secured a substantial victory margin. However, Jarkiholi’s win in Athani with only a 9,000-vote margin, against an anticipated 50,000, has put this promise in jeopardy.
Having served as the deputy CM in BS Yediyurappa’s government, Savadi joined Congress, after being denied a ticket by the BJP for the Athani constituency, along with Jagadish Shettar. In the last general election, he secured a significant victory, defeating BJP’s Mahesh Kumatolli, who had previously resigned from Congress during “Operation Lotus”, led by BJP legislator Ramesh Jarkiholi.
After they joined the Congress, both were promised a cabinet berth, however, they were asked to wait for a while before entering the cabinet. Before the Lok Sabha polls, Shettar went back to BJP, allegedly after being sidelined in the Congress.
The fortunes of Shettar and Savadi — the two rebels who joined Congress last year — couldn’t have been more different. While Savadi might struggle to gain an entry into Siddaramaiah’s cabinet, Shettar won the Lok Sabha elections from the Belgaum constituency, and is touted to be a union minister in the new government.
PWD minister Satish Jarkiholi hinted at Savadi’s performance being a factor in the reduced victory margin. “Those who joined us from BJP did not work as promised,” Jarkiholi said, adding that he would bring this to the chief minister’s attention, potentially blocking Savadi’s cabinet entry.
Savadi, reflecting on the results, said, “My supporters and I did our best. Despite many drawbacks, we ensured victory.” He noted he had his biggest win in the Athani assembly constituency while competing as a Congress candidate last year. However, the split voting patterns for the assembly and parliamentary elections affected the expected outcomes during the recent polls.
Political analyst Ashok Chandaragi weighed in, stating that the election results in the Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency might impact Savadi’s chances of securing a ministerial berth. “Savadi and his supporters worked hard, but not all followed his instructions,” Chandaragi observed. He noted that while Savadi’s assembly election showed strong support, the Lok Sabha election reflected divided loyalties.
Despite the setbacks, Savadi remains committed to his new party. “We worked till the last hour to defeat a powerful sitting candidate. I will not be disappointed if I don’t get a ministerial berth and will remain loyal to the party that revived my political career,” he said.
The Jarkiholi family, with four legislators, has further solidified its influence in the Belagavi district, despite internal conflicts. Minister Satish Jarkiholi also expressed concerns about Kudachi legislator Mahendra Tammannavar’s role in Priyanka Jarkiholi’s narrow victory. Tammannavar allegedly supported his relative Shambu Kallolikar, an IAS officer turned independent candidate, who garnered significant votes against Priyanka.
Tammannavar defended his actions, stating, “I will explain the reasons for the lower victory margin. If my supporters had worked against Congress, Kallolikar would have secured over 50,000 votes.”
