BELAGAVI: In a stunning political upset, the Katti faction delivered a decisive blow to the powerful Jarkiholi camp, securing a landslide victory in the high-stakes elections for the Hukkeri Rural Electricity Cooperative Society of Hukkeri, Belagavi district, late on Sunday night.
The result is more than a simple boardroom shuffle. It is a dramatic recalibration of power in the region, bruising the prestige of one of the most popular leaders in Karnataka, Excise Minister Satish Jarkiholi and re-establishing the Katti syndicate (headed by former MP Ramesh Katti of Hukkeri) as the dominant force in Belagavi politics.
The battle for the 15-member board was a proxy war between two of Belagavi’s most formidable political dynasties.
A record turnout of cooperative members underscored the understanding that this was a plebiscite on local dominance, with control over the cooperative’s resources and patronage network seen as a critical springboard for the upcoming elections to Assembly and other major cooperative entities in North Karnataka.
When the election result was out late on Sunday, the Jarkiholi camp drew a virtual blank as the verdict was unequivocal. The Katti panel secured a resounding all 15 seats, humiliating the Jarkiholi-backed group.
“This is the victory of people and farmers of Hukkeri and their self-respect. Also it is a rebellion of our people. The public has rejected the politics of intimidation and monopoly. The cooperative is back in the hands of its rightful owners, the farmers and people of Hukkeri,” a triumphant Umesh Katti said.
In the rival camp, the defeat is a severe embarrassment for Satish Jarkiholi, a Congress heavyweight who had personally invested his political capital in the campaign. “We accept the people’s verdict with humility,” his close aides stated. “We will introspect and come back stronger. This is another election and not more than that,’’ they said.
Political analysts, however, believe the ramifications are profound. The Hukkeri cooperative, with its vast reach over rural households in the Hukkeri belt, is a microcosm of political control. They said this victory grants the Katti faction immense leverage, strengthening their bargaining power within the BJP and positioning them perfectly to challenge Jarkiholi’s hegemony in the region.
The political leaders in Belagavi region are now recalculating equations ahead of the several major elections to be held here soon, particularly the DCC Bank elections and the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2028.
For now, the chants of “Katti sawkar ge jayawagali” echo through Hukkeri, but the silence from the Jarkiholi stronghold speaks volumes.
Former MP Ramesh Katti said, “The love and respect which the people of Hukkeri had for us, brought this victory to us. Jarkiholis should not have challenged the people of Hukkeri by contesting the election here. The concentration of power in only one family must stop in the larger interest of society,’’ he said.