Karnataka Elections: Ramesh Jarkiholi is contesting on BJP ticket from Gokak.
Belagavi:
Belagavi district with the second highest number of assembly seats after Bengaluru Urban – is expected to face a tough fight between the BJP and the Congress as Lingayat politics dominates local issues, but the Maharashtra Integration Committee (MES) may spoil the game in some seats as He wants to keep the border issue alive.
There are 18 assembly constituencies in the border district which is a Lingayat bastion and has been a BJP bastion for the last two decades.
Like the last three elections, it is likely to be a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress in most of the assembly seats, except for five, where the Shiv Sena-NCP supported the MES – a vocal supporter of the inclusion of Belagavi and other Marathi people – speaking areas in Maharashtra– have fielded local candidates.
The lack of leadership in the Lingayat community following the sidelining of veteran leader BS Yediyurappa, the death of some prominent local Lingayat BJP leaders such as Suresh Angadi and Umesh Katti, and the rising clout of the politically influential Jarkiholi family belonging to the Scheduled Tribe community, has echoed hopefully. Voter.
The exit of several disgruntled BJP leaders, including three-time MLA from Belagavi and former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, over denial of ticket for the upcoming assembly polls is likely to dent some votes here.
On the other hand, the MES has been working hard to keep alive the border issue in Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency and constituted about 40 per cent of the Marathi-speaking population. A triangular fight could dent the votes of the national parties in the five Marathi-dominated constituencies.
Marathas dominate five constituencies in the district, while Lingayats are in majority in most of the remaining 13 constituencies. The district also has a sizeable population of OBCs and SC/STs, along with two seats reserved for these groups.
In the district, where many elected representatives are sugar barons, three powerful political families – the Jharkiholis, the Joles and the Khattis – enjoy electoral dominance.
Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi from the Jharkiholi family are contesting on BJP tickets from Gokak and Arabhavi constituencies respectively. Another family member, Satish Jarkihole, is contesting on a Congress ticket from Yamkanmardi seat.
The Jarkiholi brothers are known for switching sides. Ramesh Jarkiholi was a minister in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government before joining the BJP. He was among the 17 MLAs who quit the Congress and helped the BJP bring down the Congress-JDS coalition government in 2019.
His clout in the district is hard to ignore as he has ensured BJP tickets for his followers who have defected from the Congress, much to the displeasure of the party’s traditional leaders, especially his political rival Laxman Savadi. Another prominent family is the Jolles, represented by the current Muzrai (Religious and Charitable Endowments) Minister Sasikala Jolle, who is contesting on a BJP ticket from Nippani constituency. Her husband Anna Saheb Jole is a BJP Lok Sabha member from Chikkodi in Belagavi district.
From the Khatti family, Ramesh Khatti – who represented the Chikkodi parliamentary constituency from 2009-2014 – is contesting on a BJP ticket this time from the Chikkodi-Sadalga MLA seat, while his nephew Nikhil Katti is contesting from the Hukkeri assembly constituency following his untimely death. contesting elections. His father, Umesh Khatti, was an eight-time MLA and six-time minister.
Laxman Savadi, after leaving BJP for not getting ticket, is contesting on Congress ticket from Athani assembly seat to avenge his humiliation from BJP, especially Ramesh Jarkiholi. He has to face Mahesh Kumathalli, then in Congress, Ramesh, now the BJP candidate, has differences with some Congress leaders like Lakshmi Hebbalkar contesting from Belagavi Rural seat. Both of them are contesting elections from different constituencies but trying their best to defeat each other to overcome personal enmity.
There are 39.01 lakh voters in 18 assembly constituencies of Belagavi district. As per the official figures, of whom 19,68,928 are male voters, 19,32,576 are registered as females and 141 as others.
In the 2018 elections, the BJP won 10 seats and the Congress 8, which changed in 2019 after defection. Three Congress MLAs—Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani) and Srimanta Patil (Kagwad)—resigned and joined the BJP.