BENGALURU: First, it was a turf war, then a power struggle. The Ramesh Jarkiholi-DK Shivakumar rivalry, which goes back a couple of years, touched its bitterest peak when the renegade Congressman brought down the Congress-JDS government. And now, it’s payback time for the Belagavi Saahukar. He has made it clear that he wants everything that once belonged to Shivakumar — his portfolio, his room in Vidhana Soudha, and even his official bungalow.
The rivalry started in 2018, when Shivakumar stepped into Belagavi politics, backing Laxmi Hebbalkar in the assembly election. Ramesh, who was then Belagavi district minister, opposed what he perceived was Shivakumar’s ‘interference’ in his turf. Hebbalkar won from Belagavi Rural, and differences between the two Congress strongmen grew. The tussle shifted to the Ballari LS bypoll, when Shivakumar backed VS Ugrappa, who was fielded against Devendrappa, brother-in-law of Jarkiholi. Devendrappa lost the election. This pushed Ramesh closer to the BJP, and he held up the banner of revolt, eventually toppling the HD Kumaraswamy-led government.
Ramesh, who helped prop up the Yediyurappa government, is the man of the hour, and it is said that Yediyurappa cannot deny him what he demands. Ramesh has told Yediyurappa umpteen times that he will have the water resources portfolio, and nothing else. In the HDK government, Shivakumar was water resources minister.
On Thursday, Ramesh took oath and as cabinet minister, was allotted Room 342 and 342A. Sources in Vidhana Soudha said that Ramesh is demanding Room 336, which was Shivakumar’s chamber, now occupied by the CM’s media adviser Mahadeva Prakash. “If Ramesh insists on Room 336, it will be allotted to him,’’ sources said.
It is said that Ramesh is also demanding the ministerial bungalow on Crescent Road, which was the official residence of Shivakumar. Sources in the DPAR said it’s been allotted to Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar. “If the CM insists, this bungalow could be given to Ramesh,” sources added. However, DPAR sources did not reveal much about the car allotted to Ramesh, saying they don’t know if it’s the same car Shivakumar once travelled in.