BELAGAVI: The high-stakes election for the Belagavi District Central Co-operative (DCC) Bank concluded on Sunday with an impressive 96.96% voter turnout and a clear edge for the Jarkiholi panel, which dominated the results in the fiercely contested poll.
Voting took place smoothly from 9 am to 4 pm at BK Model High School, Belagavi, under tight police security and CCTV surveillance. A total of 676 eligible voters from seven taluks — Athani (125), Bailhongal (73), Hukkeri (90), Kittur (29), Nippani (119), Raibag (205), and Ramdurg (105) — cast their votes. The election was held for seven contested director posts, while nine directors had already been elected unopposed earlier.
The election witnessed a direct contest between the Jarkiholi panel and an undeclared alliance led by Ramesh Katti and Laxman Savadi, both of whom hold strong cooperative and political influence in the district.
Results and Trends
Out of the total 17 board seats, results for 13 have been declared, where eight candidates from the Jarkiholi panel have emerged victorious. In the remaining four seats, three candidates from the same panel are currently leading, giving the Jarkiholi faction a decisive edge in the overall outcome.
The results for Bailhongal, Hukkeri, Kittur, and Nippani have been withheld pending the Karnataka High Court’s Dharwad Bench hearing on October 28, as some votes are under judicial scrutiny. Returning Officer and Assistant Commissioner Shravan Naik confirmed that counting was completed the same day and said results for the disputed seats will be announced after court clearance.
Clash outside election Centre
A minor clash broke out outside Eifa Hotel and later at the BK Model High School polling centre between supporters of the Jarkiholi panel and the undeclared panel of Ramesh Katti and Laxman Savadi over the alleged denial of delegation forms to voters from Raibag taluk.
Around 40 aggrieved voters, who claimed they were denied the forms necessary to cast their votes, lodged a complaint at the Camp Police Station and later attempted to meet the Returning Officer in person. When the police stopped them at the entrance, tempers flared, leading to a brief physical altercation. Senior officers swiftly intervened to restore order.