Cong-bound? Ramesh skips Hubballi meet

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Despite being aware that his party is organising a two-day conclave in Hubballi, Gokak MLA and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi skipped the meeting and hopped to New Delhi to meet national leaders and his ‘godfather.’

The entire Belagavi BJP unit has trained its guns on Ramesh for his ‘dubious’ role during the recent Legislative Council polls when his brother and independent candidate, Lakhan Jarkiholi won while the BJP candidate and party chief whip, Mahantesh Kavatagimath lost the election. Since then state leaders including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, state BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel and former CM, B.S. Yediyurappa were unhappy about the alleged ‘backstabbing’ by Ramesh. Recently, Kateel had visited Belagavi to find the reasons that led to the defeat of Kavatagimath in spite of Belagavi having two BJP MPs and a number of MLAs and MLCs. The charge against Ramesh was that he ensured the transfer of BJP votes to his brother. Soon after the Council poll results, a committee was constituted to find the reasons for the BJP losing both the Belagavi and Mysuru seats and take disciplinary action against those responsible.

The decision to hold a two-day conclave in Hubballi was made nearly two weeks ago and every MLA, MLC, MP and ministers have to compulsorily attend the meeting. While the core committee meeting is being held on Tuesday, the executive committee meeting is slated for Wednesday. Leaders of the BJP in Delhi have already indicated that they will take stern action against all those who conspired to defeat Kavatagimath. This issue will figure in the core committee meeting in the presence of Arun Singh to find the reasons for the defeat of BJP candidates in Belagavi and Mysuru and identify those responsible.

On coming to know hat the Belagavi council issue would be discussed in the core committee meeting, Ramesh skipped the Hubballi meet and went to Delhi in a special flight to meet his ‘ godfather. ’ By doing this, he is trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Arun Singh and renew his old ties so that he can return to the Congres. Ramesh has already made his intentions clear when he accompanied his political rival and Belagavi City MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar and Khanapur MLA Dr Anjali Nimbalkar from Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi to the city in a car. Incidentally, Hebbalkar’s brother, Channaraj Hattiholi who contested on a Congress ticket, romped home in the first round of counting. Lakhan got elected to the Council in the second round of counting of preferential votes.

One foot outside

According to BJP sources, the high command has decided to sideline Ramesh by not inducting him into the Cabinet in the next expansion. Ramesh had received the maximum support of state BJP leaders when he was allegedly caught in a sex video scam. Now he has reportedly decided to distance himself from the saffron party and is knocking on the doors of the Congress after his mission to get his brother elected to the Legislative Council became successful.