Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will arrive in Belagavi to participate in the Dasara celebrations of Hukkeri Math on Wednesday.
He is also expected to hold an informal meeting of party office-bearers and legislators from the district.
The tour that was planned a week ago has gained political significance in the wake of attempts by Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi to take a group of Congress MLAs on a tour of Mysuru during the festive season.
The attempt by Satish Jarkiholi, who is the Congress working president, is being widely seen as a show of strength and by extension, the Gokak-based Jarkiholi clan. Satish Jarkiholi has, however, put off the tour following instructions from the party high command.
Congress sources said that Karnataka in-charge general secretary called Satish Jarkiholi on Monday asking him to cancel the tour. “Instead, Satish Jarkiholi has been asked to discuss various issues in internal platforms in front of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar,” said a senior party leader.
Satish upset
Satish Jarkiholi is said to be upset over some developments in the party. “He has been asked by the party high command to step down as the KPCC working president to make way for other leaders,” sources say.
“The senior leadership is considering MLA and a Ganiga Lingayat leader Laxman Savadi or the former MLA and a Maratha Kshatriya leader Anjali Nimbalkar to fill the post. Satish Jarkiholi is not happy with Mr. Savadi’s name being proposed for the post, but has no opinion about the proposal to nominate Dr. Nimbalkar,” a senior leader said.
The Gokak-based Jarkiholi clan and the Savadi brothers from Athani have not had a very friendly political history. Some followers of Mr. Savadi believe that despite the political differences among themselves, the Jarkiholi brothers ganged up to defeat Mr. Savadi in the District Central Cooperative Bank president elections five years ago.
Of the five Jarkiholi brothers, Satish Jarkiholi is a Congress Minister, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi are BJP legislators and Lakhan Jarkiholi is an unattached MLC.
Mr. Savadi’s brothers are active in cooperative societies and run some institutions.
Mr. Savadi is also believed to belong to the anti-Jarkiholi faction in the district, including Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar and some Lingayat leaders.
War of words
A war of words had broken out between the Gokak brothers and Ms. Hebbalkar before the 2018 Assembly polls, when she accused them of fixing the elections to a local rural development bank.
Ms. Hebbalkar’s followers constantly complain about what they say high-handedness of the district in-charge Minister [Satish Jarkiholi] in the district administration and him overruling some decisions taken by her.
Those loyal to Satish Jarkiholi argue that Ms. Hebbalkar is interfering in the administrative matters of Belagavi district without limiting herself to Udupi, where she is in-charge.
Rifts in Congress
The differences between the Jarkiholi clan and other leaders are creating rifts in the District Congress, say party insiders. “The lack of trust between various factions is damaging the party. It is not good for the organisation,” according to a party MLC.
Satish Jarkiholi, however, has denied reports of existence of factions in the party. “We have groups of like-minded legislators and leaders. They travel to tourist places just to spend some quality time together,” he said.
He told The Hindu that he does not believe the tour was meant to be a show of strength.
“I am not hankering after any position, like the Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister. It is true that I am aspiring to be the Chief Minister, but that is after a few years. I have no such immediate plans,” he said.
He also denied that he has political enmity or differences with any leader in Belagavi, including Mr. Savadi or Ms. Hebbalkar. “We are good friends working for the party and for the development of the State,” he said.
He said that he is not disappointed with the party. “They have entrusted me with the Public Works Ministry which is a serious responsibility. I cannot complain about it,” he said.
“It is a different matter that some legislators have some issues with some Ministers. That is natural in any government. The party will look into all those complaints and resolve them,” he said.
