The Jarkiholi brothers, the Gokak-based sugar barons and political strongmen, may be facing the biggest challenge of their public life in the scandal allegedly involving former Major and Medium Irrigation Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.
The Jarkiholis have faced several ups and downs, but the recent exposé has rattled the brothers as it has affected the image of the family in a way that goes beyond political differences and skirmishes they are accustomed to.
The aspect of personal and familial pride being hurt was emphasised by Mr. Ramesh in the first press conference he held after the scandal broke.
Mr. Ramesh lost his first election, fought as Jarkiholi Ramappa Lakshman in 1985, to Muttennanavar Mallappa, senior Nayaka community leader and Janata Party candidate.
The defeat kept him away from electoral politics for 14 years, though he continued to be active in the youth Congress. He came back to the fray with a changed name, financial prospects and clout in 1999. It has been a long stint since then.
His younger brother Satish Jarkiholi, earlier with the JD(S), joined the Congress in 2008, rising to the position of KPCC vice-president in 2020. Meanwhile, Balachandra Jarkiholi, the third brother, entered the Assembly on a JD(S) ticket, only to join the BJP in 2013.
In January 2017, Income Tax officers raided the houses and offices of Mr. Ramesh. The houses of his brother Lakhan Jarkiholi and supporters Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Ali Attar and H.D. Mulla were also raided.
In 2018, Ms. Hebbalkar rebelled against him over elections to the taluk rural development bank. Mr. Ramesh accused KPCC president D K Shivakumar of interfering in Belagavi politics through Ms Hebbalkar. The next year, Mr. Ramesh lost the Cabinet berth to Mr. Satish, and accused him of manipulation.
In 2019, Mr. Ramesh complained of a suffocating environment in the Congress and quit the party. He also claimed to have influenced 16 others to resign. He and his friends were disqualified and fought the elections as BJP candidates. In Gokak, Mr. Lakhan fought unsuccessfully against him.
But, the present crisis seems to be different in that what has come into question is the individual morality of the leader. Also, the implications of the present crisis has blown up across the country on TV channels and gone viral on social media.
Reach in BJP
Despite his BJP membership being 15 months old, Mr. Ramesh had gained access to the top functionaries in the party. He is said to have met party national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh each time he went to Delhi. He also drove with Home Minister Amit Shah when he toured north Karnataka recently. He has openly lobbied for his friends to be made Ministers. But, he will not be able to claim the same proximity to the party leaders, till his name is cleared of this controversy, say party leaders.
“Our senior leadership is very sensitive about issues that tend to affect the personal image of leaders. They will not entertain him, till an enquiry acquits him or at least the people forget about it,” said a senior leader.
Party leaders say Mr. Ramesh’s resignation could affect the party’s prospects in the Belagavi Lok Sabha bypolls and the three Assembly bypolls in north Karnataka. The BJP was trying to project him as the leader of the Nayaka community, by sidelining B. Sriramulu. He was supposed to address rallies in pockets with Nayaka and other ST and backward communities in Maski, Basava Kalyan and Sindagi. All these plans will be rejigged now, said another leader.
Interestingly, though divided between parties, the brothers — Satish Jarkiholi and Mr. Lakhan in the Congress, besides Mr. Balachandra in the BJP — have stood with him. Mr. Balachandra told The Hindu that he was confident that his brother would emerge unscathed from the alleged scandal.
