BJP to fight in Belagavi district sans leadership

Till recently, there was a fierce battle between the BJP and the Congress party with each trying to take control of the northern Karnataka district

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Politicians say any party that will win the maximum number of seats in Belagavi and Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts will come to power in the State. It's true. While the Belagavi district has 18 Assembly segments under its belt, Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts have a total of 28 Assembly seats. Both put together, it is a whopping 46 seats of the total 224 Assembly seats in Karnataka.

Till recently, there was a fierce battle between the BJP and the Congress party with each trying to take control of the northern Karnataka district. Drenched as it is in saffron, thanks to the influence of neighbouring Maharashtra, the BJP had intoxicated the voters here with a strong dose of Hindutva and Hinduism.

Though the BJP did not have a mass leader in Belagavi district, it had leaders like Lok Sabha member Suresh Angadi and Umesh Katti who were managing the show during elections to woo voters. After the demise of these two leaders, the saffron party does not have any leader who could ensure the victory for BJP in the coming Assembly polls.

Local BJP leaders have no faith in Gokak BJP MLA and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi after his dubious role in the biennial elections to the State Legislative Council from local bodies when he got his brother, Lakhan Jarkiholi elected, defeated the then sitting BJP MLC, Mahantesh Kavatagimath. Since then Ramesh has become persona non grata in the BJP.

His request for re-induction into the Cabinet (after being given a clean chit in the alleged sex scandal) has not been considered by the high command. Taking advantage of the present situation, Ramesh is said to have put a condition on the high command that he would make the party win the maximum possible seats in the Belagavi district, provided he was made minister before the election dates are announced.

The high command had not agreed to the condition, fearing that he would dictate terms to the party in the coming days. Ramesh knows very well that the Congress has closed its doors to him already as Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar has been groomed as the Congress leader of the district and she can alone take Ramesh headon in the coming election.

Even the Janata Dal (Secular) leaders are not ready to take Ramesh into the party due to his 'reputation'. So, the 'Sahukar' of Gokak was bargaining with the high command to give him control of Belagavi, which the party leaders are yet to make up their minds about following strong opposition to his leadership.

The original BJP workers have threatened to quit the party if Ramesh was made in charge of the district. BJP leaders are aware of the fact that the party is slowly slipping out in Belagavi district and something needs to be done to check this.

Former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi, Muzarai Minister Shashikala Jolle, Belagavi MP Mangala Suresh Angadi and Chikodi MP Annasaheb Jolle are not vote catchers. Unfortunately, the BJP did not groom a second line of leadership for which it is paying a heavy price. In case the lotus fails to bloom in most of the Assembly constituencies in Belagavi district, BJP leaders have themselves to blame for not grooming young leaders.