On Thursday morning, Kallayya Mathpati started the one-man cycle rally to Bengaluru from Gokak, seeking formation of a separate Gokak district. The septuagenarian plans a dharna in Bengaluru till the State Government announces its decision on the issue. Several groups have been demanding that Gokak be carved out of Belagavi as a separate district and made the headquarter. This old demand has resurfaced now.
This time around, many activists are unhappy with Umesh Katti, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, for allegedly trying to deprive the chance of Gokak from becoming a new district. Mr. Katti has been saying that the district should be divided into Chikkodi and Bailhongal districts. He has brushed aside suggestions that Gokak should become a separate entity.
A recent protest meeting, called to press for a new Gokak district, got diverted to condemn the alleged political moves behind the demand. Laxmi Hebbalkar, Congress MLA, sought creation of three new districts, for development and efficient administration. But she stopped short of naming the new districts.
A day later, she got support from unexpected quarters. Mr. Katti told journalists in Hukkeri that the district should be divided to form separate Chikkodi and Bailhongal districts (besides Belagavi). “Chikkodi already has several district-level offices and Bailhongal is the sub-divisional headquarters,’’ he said. Ms. Hebbalkar then said that if Mr. Katti were to lead a delegation to the Chief Minister on this issue, she would join it. The next day, BJP leader Lakshman Savadi demanded that Athani should be the headquarters of the new district. All three are Lingayat leaders.
Kannada groups’ stand
The demand for division of Belagavi, the biggest district in the State after Bengaluru, has come alive with leaders from across the political spectrum speaking about it. The district with a population of around 55 lakh, has over 1,100 villages governed by 506 gram panchayats. The voters here send two leaders to the Lok Sabha, three to the Legislative Council and 18 to the Legislative Assembly. However, Kannada organisations have voted it down, saying that such a move would strengthen the demand by Marathi organisations that Marathi speaking areas should be merged with Maharashtra.
Mr. Katti told The Hindu that creation of three districts would lead to better administration. “Also, if we have three smaller districts, there will be three Ministers who will have better control over their respective regions,’’ he said.
However, members of the Gokak Horata Samiti argue that this is not about administration or development, but about political manoeuvres. “If a separate Gokak district is formed, then the influence of Jarkiholi bothers (Ramesh, Satish, Balachandra, Bimashi and Lakhan) will grow. The other leaders don’t want that. All the leaders have ganged up against the Jarkiholi brothers. They want to reduce the influence of the Jarkiholi family by avoiding creation of Gokak district,” claimed Bhimshi Bharamannavar, a loyalist of the Jarkiholi family and BJP Gokak city unit president.
All the Lingayat leaders of the district are apprehensive of the social influence and political power of the Jarkiholi brothers (who are all in BJP barring Satish Jarkiholi) if districts are divided with Gokak as the headquarter, Jarkiholi loyalists argue.
