Ramesh Jarkiholi lives in a palatial house on the way to the scenic waterfalls on the outskirts of Gokak. From a humble background, the fortunes of the family changed since his first term as legislator in 1999. From trading in Indian-made foreign liquor in a few districts in north Karnataka just three decades ago, the clan has become one of the biggest sugar and molasses producing families in north Karnataka. Now, the five Jarkiholi brothers own or run five sugar factories and another is coming up.
The family has also maintained a near monopoly on the politics in the taluk. Four of the brothers are in public life. MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi in the BJP, MLA Satish Jarkiholi is in the Congress, and the younger sibling Lakhan Jarkiholi is an unattached member in the Legislative Council, though he is busy managing Mr. Ramesh’s campaign in Gokak. The stronghold of the family over the gram and taluk panchayats, town and city municipal councils, local cooperative sugar factories, and banks is evident. The brothers are called “Sahukars.”
A self-assured Mr. Ramesh reiterates that this time, he is not spending much time on his campaign in Gokak. “I will campaign harder for my followers Mahesh Kumathalli in Athani and Nagesh Manolkar in Belagavi rural than for myself. I am needed much more there, than here,’‘ he says. Mr. Lakhan says: “Ramesh Sahukar does not need to campaign here.”
