Jarkiholis skip Jan-Swarajya rally, BJP top brass worried

By Ravindra Uppar

Belagavi: The absence of the Jarkiholi brothers- Ramesh and Balachandra-from the Jan-Swarajya rally organized in Chikkodi and Belagavi on Sunday ahead of the legislative council elections, has led to creased foreheads in the ruling BJP. The BJP has fielded sitting MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath for the third time for the MLC poll from the Belagavi local bodies constituency and he is the only candidate chosen by the party although the district has two seats. Party leaders are urging voters to cast only a single vote or the first preference vote for Kavatagimath and not cast the second preference vote for anyone else. But Ramesh Jarkiholi has been traveling across the district meeting different leaders and has even succeeded in bringing present MLC Vivekrao Patil into the BJP. Vevekrao became victorious as an Independent candidate in the last election with the help of the Jarkiholi brothers. A couple of days ago, he also met former BJP MLA Raju Kage who is in the Congress. Though Ramesh has made it clear to media persons that he is working for Kavatagimath, his skipping the JanSwarajya rally led by ex-CM BS Yediyurappa points to something else. Arabhavi BJP MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi, had a week ago urged the party leadership to consider Lakhan Jarkiholi as a second candidate in Belagavi. However, the party leadership did not heed his demand and this is said to be one of the reasons Balachandra stayed away from the Jan-Swarajya rallies in the district. When asked about this, Yediyurappa told media persons that he would talk to both Jarkiholi brothers in this regard.