BELAGAVI: With the rift between the Jarkiholi brothers widening, Satish Jarkiholi has thrown an open challenge to five-time MLA of Gokak Ramesh Jarkiholi, to be prepared for the ‘final match’, to be played in the next six months in the Gokak assembly segment.As Ramesh begins an open campaign in support of BJP, Satish said in Belagavi that Ramesh’s imminent exit from the Congress now will set the stage for bypolls to assembly in Gokak constituency within the next six months.
A day after Satish dared Ramesh to support BJP in Yamakanamardi assembly segment — which the former represents — Ramesh held a meeting with BJP workers at Yamakanmardi on Sunday. By joining the BJP camp openly on Sunday, Ramesh made it clear that he was prepared to take up any challenge which Congress or his brothers posed before him.
“The Lok Sabha election is like semi final (for Jarkiholi brothers) and the real climax in Gokak will be the final encounter to be held within the next six months. I am more interested in the final match,’’ said Satish Jarkiholi.
Satish said it was he who built a solid ground for the Congress in Gokak constituency and later passed the mantle to his brother (Ramesh Jarkiholi). With Ramesh switching sides, Satish said he had no choice but to lead the Congress campaign in Gokak in view of the Lok Sabha polls. After Ramesh identified himself in the BJP camps, the leader of the CLP has lodged a complaint with the Speaker of Assembly to initiate action against Ramesh, said Satish.
To avoid leaders outside Jarkiholi family take on the Congress mantle in Gokak, the Jarkiholi family held a discussion with Congress senior Siddaramaiah at Gokak on Friday where the latter gave his consent to replace Ramesh with Lakhan Jarkiholi — the youngest of Jarkiholi brothers as Congress in-charge of Gokak constituency.