Karnataka - Belgaum   

Stakes high for Jarkiholi, Katti

Belgaum: As campaigning for the byelections to Hukkeri and Arabhavi Assembly seats in the district reaches crescendo, the political parties appear to have no clue about the undercurrents in the two constituencies.

In respect of Belgaum district, Umesh V. Katti and Balachandra L. Jarkiholi, who have knocking the doors of the electorates once again this time on the BJP ticket. All through their campaign in the 2008 Assembly elections when they contested and won the Janata Dal (S) ticket, they slammed the BJP (as also the Congress) as a communal party without any development agenda but only with an eye occupying political power.

But once the BJP came to power, they had no hesitation in joining that party and were rewarded with Cabinet berths.

While Mr. Jarkiholi had tasted power even as first time MLA in the Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP coalition government, Mr. Katti, a former minister, was out of power for long.

Both have business interests and control sugar factories.

The Ghataprabha Sahakara Sakkare Karkhane in Gokak was under deep financial crisis and Mr. Balachander Jarkiholi’s brother, Satish L. Jarkiholi, had levelled serious charges of rampant financial irregularities and demanded a through probe into the affairs of the factory.

Mr. Katti controls a Sankeshwar-based sugar factory (in Hukkeri taluk) and the Belgaum District Central Co-operative Bank.

And, if the developments in the last few years are any indication, Mr. Katti succeeded to a great extent in spoiling the political prospects of Mr. Patil for the time being. Mr. Patil, who quit the Janata Dal (United) and joined the Congress, won from Sankeshwar in 2004 Assembly elections, lost to Mr. Katti in Hukkeri in May 2008 elections. After the delimitation of constituencies, Sankeshwar seized to exist and Mr. Patil had to contest from Hukkeri, a traditional stronghold of Mr. Katti. Mr. Patil could not even get party ticket to contest once again from Hukkeri in the byelection.

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