BELAGAVI: Disgruntled Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkoholi might have mysteriously disappeared from Gokak, but his brother-in-law Ambirao Patil has stepped up to take the mantle of MLA, unofficially of course.
A few weeks after the Jarkiholi brothers called both Ramesh and Ambirao a threat to the Congress party in Gokak, Ambirao is playing the role of a proxy for Ramesh, leading to several leaders in Belagavi questioning the government for allowing the ‘proxy MLA’ to inaugurate several government projects in the absence of Ramesh Jarkiholi.
Official protocol dictates that the local MLA or officials are supposed to inaugurate government programmes and works. In Ramesh’s absence, however, Ambirao laid the foundation stone for several projects, including a girls hostel at Mallapur Pattan Panchayat, the Valmiki Bhavan in Gokak and the
laying of several roads in Gokak constituency.
Ever since Ramesh was expelled from the state cabinet, his rebel activities also have taken a toll on the entire Jarkiholi family. On several occasions, Satish and Lakhan Jarkiholi attempted to contact Ramesh but failed to find him in Gokak or Belagavi for the past few months.
When Ramesh announced that he would quit the party a few weeks back, Satish named Lakhan as the
Congress member in-charge of Gokak. Lakhan then held a meeting with members of Gokak Municipality where he appealed to members to join hands with him and Satish. “No one intervened in the Municipality affairs for 20 years when Ramesh was in charge, now that he is ignoring the local body, Ambirao Patil is handling its affairs,” he charged.
However, most members are caught in a dilemma, unable to decide which side to take.It is clear that Satish Jarkiholi is struggling to keep Ambirao away from his family and Gokak constituency but in vain. He fears that Ambirao could destabilise the Congress in Gokak if he is allowed to stay.