The Gokak-based Jarkiholi brothers have continued their efforts to enter the State Cabinet. They have been lobbying with the BJP and Sangh Parivar leadership to be appointed as Ministers. On Monday, the former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai at the latter’s residence in Bengaluru to build pressure.
Interestingly, in return for this, he is said to have offered to convince his younger brother and Independent MLC Lakhan Jarkiholi to join the BJP.
The BJP is one member short of a majority in the Legislative Council.
Party sources say that he not only sought his own inclusion in the Cabinet in the next reshuffle, but also the inclusion of his followers Srimant Patil and Mahesh Kumthalli.
Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi also discussed the possibility of giving up his own claim if his younger brother Balachandra Jarkiholi, KMF Chairman, is made a Minister. However, this has come with a rider that Mr. Balachandra Jarkiholi should be allotted the Water Resources portfolio.
“Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi reminded the Chief Minister that during the Chief Ministership of H.D. Kumaraswamy, H.D. Revanna was in charge of two important Ministries, while he retained the chairmanship of KMF,’’ a BJP leader said.
Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi, however, refused to reveal details of his conversation with the Chief Minister. “I will reveal all, when the time comes,’’ he said. “I am not someone who goes to the party and seeks a Cabinet berth. That much I can say,’’ he said. While Mr. Balachandra Jarkiholi joined the BJP in 2007, Mr. Patil and Mr. Kumthalli followed Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi into the ruling party in 2018. The three legislators from Belagavi were part of the 17-member contingent that shifted from the Opposition parties to the BJP, leading to B.S. Yeddiyurappa becoming the Chief Minister.
While in other districts, such defectors became Ministers, the three party hoppers from Belagavi are out of power now. Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who took charge as Irrigation Minister, resigned from the Ministry after his alleged involvement in a scandal. Srimant Patil, Textile Minister, was dropped when the Cabinet was reshuffled when Basavaraj Bommai took oath. Mr. Kumthalli could not make it to the Ministry on both occasions.
A ploy
The Jarkiholi brothers see this as a ploy by the party leadership and some local BJP leaders designed to keep them and their supporters out of power.
They have raised this issue multiple times with the Central and State leadership. Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi has met senior leaders, including J.P. Nadda, along with Devendra Fadnavis, former Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi has met RSS leader Arvind Rao Deshpande in Athani at least three times since his resignation as Minister.
