Jarkiholi brothers, DKS & Hebbalkar at loggerheads over Congress Bhavan

Shivakumar and Satish Jarkiholi were involved in a verbal tussle in the CLP meeting when the former supported Hebbalkar’s claims that she got the Bhavan constructed.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar (File photo)
Updated on
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BELAGAVI: The escalating slugfest between PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar over the construction of the Congress Bhavan in Belagavi has become a fresh headache for the Congress top brass. 

After Hebbalkar reportedly tried to take sole credit for the construction of the Congress Bhavan at the recent CLP meeting in Bengaluru, which was supported by Shivakumar, the Jarkiholi brothers from Gokak rubbished her claims while making counter claims that several party leaders, including themselves, had got the site for the bhavan allotted and contributed huge funds for its construction.

Shivakumar and Satish Jarkiholi were involved in a verbal tussle in the CLP meeting when the former supported Hebbalkar’s claims that she got the Bhavan constructed. According to sources, Jarkiholi objected to the meddling of Shivakumar and Hebbalkar in Belagavi politics and said though he was the Belagavi district minister, both of them were putting needless pressure on the official machinery in the district. 

Jarkiholi alleged that Hebbalkar and Shivakumar misused the powers of officials in Belagavi in the case registered against BJP MLC C T Ravi for using derogatory remarks against Hebbalkar. “I have contributed a huge sum for the construction of Congress Bhavan. The bhavan was not constructed by any one particular leader. We will not keep quiet if Shivakumar continues his interference in Belagavi politics,’’ he said. Jarkiholi held a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for at least an hour to discuss the issue.

Sources said Jarkiholi brought the issue of Shivakumar’s intervention in Belagavi to the notice of Congress high command and state Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in particular. He had made it clear to the leadership that he would not be quiet if Shivakumar continued it. He said, “We too have to do something to protect our identity.’’

 Meanwhile, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi (BJP) has rallied behind his brother Satish. He said he was in Congress from 2013 to 2018 and got a big site allotted to the party for the bhavan. “I had paid Rs 27 lakh to buy the site for the bhavan from my pocket. I gave another Rs 1 crore for the construction soon after becoming a minister in the then Congress government,’’ he said. 

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