Last Updated: March 21, 2023, 13:13 IST
BJP leader and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi. (File photo: PTI)
The internal feud was fueled after BJP leader and former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa earlier said that around four to five MLAs might not get tickets in this election
Ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka, BJP leader and former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has once again warned the saffron party that if his follower and BJP MLA Mahesh Kumathalli is denied a ticket from Athani constituency, Belagavi district, then he too won’t contest from Gokak (his constituency) and retire from politics.
“Mahesh Kumathalli is a candidate, it is final. He resigned from the previous party and helped form this government. I will not contest from Gokak and I will also retire from politics if he is not given a ticket”, said Jarkiholi.
The internal feud was fueled after BJP leader and former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa earlier said that around four to five MLAs might not get tickets in this election. Furthermore, recent rumors suggested that the party’s senior leaders are planning to field former deputy CM Laxman Savadi from Athani in the upcoming assembly elections.
Jarkiholi and Kumathalli were among the 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs who brought down the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy in 2019 and helped the saffron party form the government with a full majority in the state.
In fact, Ramesh Jarkiholi dragged Kumathalli along in 2019 from the Congress party to BJP hoping both of them would find a place in the state cabinet. While Jarkiholi went on to become the Water Minister between 2020-2021, Kumathalli couldn’t find any important position in the party. And now, Savadi and Jarkiholi are at loggerheads as Jarkiholi wants his aide Kumathalli to contest from Athani instead of Savadi.
Savadi was defeated by Kumathalli from Athani in the 2018 Assembly elections from a Congress ticket. He later joined BJP and won the by-poll on the BJP ticket.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Congress legislator Priyank Kharge said this issue needs a wider picture because the BJP is in a fix as to whether to give a ticket to the original BJP leader or to the migrant leader. Moreover, since Jarkiholi was a ‘cog in the wheel’ during the alleged Operation Kamala in 2019, he can’t be ignored.
However, Congress is not interested in BJP’s matter since it will sweep in Belagavi not just because people are tired of the alleged corrupt government but also due to their poor way of handling the Karnataka- Maharashtra border issue, Kharge said.
“Savadi was made the Deputy CM and was dumbed like a hot potato suddenly. BJP has dug its own grave. When they did Operation Kamala in 2019 didn’t they know that Savadi was an important person for their party?
“Now they are in a fix on whether the ticket should be given to a migrant MLA or a leader who is originally BJP. They can’t even ignore Mr. Jarkiholi for a reason. We aren’t interested in BJP but we are confident enough that we will win the elections”, said Kharge.
Meanwhile, former deputy CM Savadi has said that he doesn’t want to comment on Jarkiholi’s statement but he will speak to people from his constituency and then take a call about whether or not a ticket needs to be asked from the high command.
“I still haven’t asked for a ticket. I have left to the people. If people say don’t ask for ticket then I will not ask. He is also a leader and I hope he will understand. I will not comment on his (Ramesh Jarkiholi) statement and neither make a controversy out of it. He is also a senior leader”, he said.
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