Satish Jarkiholi, dismissed allegations that the Congress had come to a secret understanding with the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) to defeat the BJP in Belagavi.
“Some BJP leaders are going around saying that Congress and MES had a clandestine understanding to defeat the BJP in Belagavi. That is not true. It is the BJP’s bad governance and the anti-people attitude of the BJP MLAs that led to the strengthening of the MES in Belagavi but not the Congress,” he said. “MES had lost public support and had almost faded away from Belagavi politics. But the BJP’s anti-people policies and the disgusting behaviour with the public that brought the MES back to the stage in Belagavi, he said.
He alleged that BJP MLA Abhay Patil had harassed the common people endlessly. The people of Belagavi South were fed up with him. He has misused government offices like tahshildar office, police and sub registrar office. He has been blackmailing builders and collecting bribes from them. Mr. Patil has also been abusing government servants only for selfish gains. The people of Belagavi South decided to teach him a lesson, he said.
He said that Congress and other political parties were in the fray to win and not to ensure that someone loses. MES’s Ramakant Konduskar fought Mr. Patil, the BJP nominee in Belagavi South. Mr. Konduskar is a Hindutva activist, a former associate of Pramod Mutalik who fell out of favour with him later.
Satish Jarkiholi said Congress would get over 120 seats across the State and at least 10 in Belagavi district.
