BELAGAVI: Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar is a powerful Congress leader, and Ramesh Jarkiholi only became a minister because of her, alleged former minister Satish Jarkiholi.
Speaking to reporters in Gokak on Sunday, Satish said Congress leader DK Shivakumar and Hebbalkar are behind Ramesh becoming a minister in the previous Congress government. “I don’t have any resentment towards Shivakumar or Hebbalkar. I am disappointed because they made Ramesh a minister,” Satish said.
He further said that Ramesh was instrumental in making DKS a minister, and has also insisted on making Siddaramaiah chief minister once again. “Now, the same man (Ramesh) is speaking against DKS and Siddaramaiah. We will bring both Hebbalkar and DKS to Gokak for campaigning — they can share their opinion about Ramesh then.”
Congress candidate Lakhan Jarkholi will take out a procession today to file his nomination papers, in which party leaders from the district, including former minister Shivanand Patil, will participate, said Satish.
Reacting to Ramesh’s statement about sycophants, that “people who hold bags and wait in front of doors get respect”, Satish said that Ramesh had also done the same for the past 25 years. “Holding a bag is not ‘chamchagiri’. Ramesh used follow B Shankaranand around ‘holding a bag’. Ramesh changes leaders like the stock market. He first said KH Patil was his leader, then SM Krishna, and then Siddaramaiah.”