BELAGAVI: Shashikala Jolle, who made it to the BS Yediyurappa cabinet on Tuesday, has a lot of firsts to her credit. The legislator from Nippani, a Maratha stronghold since the first assembly elections in 1967, is the first Kannada-speaking MLA as well as the first woman to represent the constituency.
The popular leader is involved in a series of social initiatives and also runs several educational institutions and co-operative organisations. She is well respected among the Marathi speaking population as well, ensuring that their vote came to her not other popular Marathi leaders.
In her maiden big election, Shashikala defeated three-time MLA Kakasaheb Patil of the Congress in 2013 by around 18,000 votes. Her work for this neglected assembly segment on the border during her first term in the assembly helped her record a landslide victory against the same rival in the last assembly polls as well.
Through her cooperative societies, Shashikala has been able to enrol more than 1 lakh women in 2500 self-help groups in her constituency. Shashikala has the RSS to thank for her inclusion in the cabinet sources said. However, this decision led to the denial of a cabinet berth for eight-time MLA Umesh Katti.
According to sources, Shashikala is expected to be given the Women and Child Welfare portfolio as she is the only woman member in the 17-member cabinet.