Giving a twist to newly elected BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi meeting Congress leader Siddaramaiah in the hospital, his younger brother Lakhan Jarkiholi on Sunday alleged that the visit was aimed at blackmailing the Bharatiya Janata Party to give him the Deputy Chief Minister’s post or a plum portfolio.
Addressing a programme to thank party workers and voters in Gokak, Mr. Lakhan, who lost the bypolls to Mr. Ramesh, alleged that his brother was trying to blackmail the BJP saying that he would rejoin the Congress if he was not made Deputy Chief Minister or given the major irrigation portfolio.
Mr. Lakhan said that his brother claims that he regards Mr. Siddaramaiah as his leader. “That is not true. When he was trying to leave the Congress and join the BJP, Mr. Siddaramaiah tried to call him to prevent him from quitting the party. But he did not receive his calls. He has no respect for Mr. Siddaramaiah,” he said.
“I appeal to the BJP leaders not to make him the Irrigation Minister. If you do that, he will surely sink your party,” he said.
Reacting to his defeat in Gokak Assembly segment, Mr. Lakhan said that his brother had won by cheating people and misleading them. “I consider that we lost to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and not to Mr. Ramesh,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Satish Jarkiholi accused his brother Mr. Ramesh of winning the byelections through malpractices and by threatening voters.
“We lost because Mr. Yediyurappa led a focussed campaign in Gokak. Otherwise, the BJP would have been reduced to third place,” he said.
