The former Minister and BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi has been lauded for his work for the party by senior leaders | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
The former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi seemed to be the focal point of all campaign rallies in which senior BJP leaders spoke in various Assembly constituencies in Belagavi district on Wednesday.
Senior leaders B.S. Yediyurappa, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and others addressed rallies in Athani and Belagavi Rural constituencies.
They were campaigning for Mahesh Kumthalli in Athani and Nagesh Manolkar in Belagavi Rural constituencies. But they spent more time speaking about Ramesh Jarkiholi than the party candidates, who are seen as his followers.
In the Athani rally, Mr. Yediyurappa criticised the defection of Laxman Savadi to the Congress from the BJP. “He has betrayed the trust people put in him. He has also betrayed the trust that senior leaders of the party put in him. He should be defeated. We should make Athani free of Mr. Savadi,’‘ he said.
He spoke of how Ramesh Jarkiholi had helped him become the Chief Minister despite several odds. That led to Mr. Savadi becoming the Deputy Chief Minister. “Mr. Savadi should have recalled the favour made by Ramesh Jarkioli to our party and to him. But sadly, that is not the case. The people of Athani should not forget it. You should remember what Ramesh Jarkiholi has done for the BJP,” he said.
Mr. Yatnal was sharing the stage with Mr. Yediyurappa after a long time. The leader from Vijayapura said that he was impressed by Ramesh Jarkiholi. “He is a man of his words. I respect him for his straightforward manner. That is how you should be. You should stick to your position and stand by your followers. He openly announced that if the BJP did not give ticket to Mahesh Kumthalli, he will not seek party ticket from Gokak. I am greatly impressed by such a leader,” Mr. Yatnal said.
Addressing a rally in Hosur in Belagavi Rural constituency, Mr. Bommai said that Ramesh Jarkiholi is like an archer who never missed his target. “He wins elections not only for himself, but also for others. He has been a fighter all his life. In his 25 years of public experience, he has been a Minister only for around two years. But the rest he has spent in making others MLAs and Ministers. He is a large hearted leader who is fighting battles for others. But that is never with a desire for power,” he said.
“Some people become leaders only with political power, but for others, their power will come from the faith people have in them. Ramesh Jarkiholi is real leader, as his power comes from the people. He has been playing the politics of people and not politics of power. He is spending more time in Belagavi Rural, than in Gokak. It is for you to send a message to Ramesh Jarkiholi that you will elect Nagesh Munolkar, without the need for him to come and campaign in your constituency,” Mr. Bommai said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Singh Chauhan campaigned for Ramesh Jarkiholi in Gokak. He asked voters to choose the BJP, based on the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. He said that it is obvious that they will strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister by voting for Ramesh Jarkiholi.
Balachandra Jarkiholi, who addressed the rally, noted that there was some dissatisfaction among BJP workers due to some decisions taken by some senior leaders. Some workers are getting angry at the MLA for decisions taken by some senior leaders. “But we need to resolve such differences by speaking to them. We should take everybody along [with us],” Balalchandra Jarkiholi said.
