My next move after June 11 MLAs' meet, says Satish Jarkiholi

Former minister and All-India Congress Committee Secretary Satish Jarkiholi has never lost any of the last five elections he contested. The mass support and popularity he gained in north-Karnataka region forced the Congress party to elevate him to the post of AICC Secretary two years ago. Despite the key role he played in the victory of former CM Siddaramaiah in Badami constituency in the recent Assembly elections and his fifth back-to-back victory as a legislator, the party chose to ignore him when it formed the cabinet in alliance with JD(S).

Claiming that top Congress leaders in the state conspired to stop him from becoming a popular leader, Jarkiholi blames these leaders for him being out of the cabinet today. Although he is unwilling to disclose what will be his next move, he says he will not accept any offer to be made by the party now. In the game of coalition politics, he says, he wants to remain a ‘referee’ and allow all players (MLAs) to play the game of football and enjoy it.

In an interview with Deccan Chronicle in Belagavi on Sunday, Jarkiholi opened up on recent political developments in the state and his possible moves in the next few days. Here are excerpts.

Why do you think you were given the post of AICC Secretary?
The party actually appointed me to the coveted post with good intentions and handed over several important responsibilities initially. Until the assembly elections were completed, the top party leaders in New Delhi and Bengaluru were quite friendly and consulted me whenever important decisions were taken at the helm. In the larger interests of the party, I have worked very hard during the elections with the sole aim of building the party's image in the run-up to the elections.

Did you get due importance as a Secretary of AICC?
I told you just now that I was one of the important leaders at the top and was given importance by all leaders. Some top party leaders in the state attempted to conspire against me after the election was over. What made the AICC leaders bow down to the pressure exerted on them by state leaders still bothers me. Most campaigns and events planned ahead of the elections were held very effectively by the AICC and I was part of it.

Are you being snubbed by the party leadership for your alleged involvement in anti-party activities during the elections?
I was never involved in any anti-party activity as claimed by some leaders. The Congress party's image has grown stronger in Belagavi district in the last few months if you have watched things closely. A series of campaigns and programmes were organised by the party successfully prior to the assembly elections in Belagavi in which I was actively involved. We (AICC) have ensured that the party got more seats than what it got in the previous poll. We had six Congress MLAs in Belagavi district after the previous elections and now we have eight. The party has certainly done better under my leadership. I have played a role in the party's improved performance in Belagavi. So, the charges that I indulged in anti-party activity are false.

Why do you think party leaders who were for and against the Lingayat movement for separate religion tag, were ignored during cabinet formation?
The party top leadership stumbled while selecting its MLAs for the cabinet. Clearly, attempts have been made to induct only those MLAs who the party thinks can be controlled easily. Many senior and experienced MLAs who deserved a cabinet berth, have been dropped without any logical reason by the AICC. Some state leaders have managed to have a cabinet as per their convenience. The party should have inducted MLAs based on merit instead of succumbing to the pressure of some leaders. Not only able Lingayat leaders, others who deserved a place automatically also have been snubbed. What I feel is that the party should not have formed a cabinet in such a fashion hastily but included some of those who could never be ignored. Leaders who have been able to achieve huge popularity in their respective regions through hard work, should not have been overlooked.

Now that you have been ignored by the party, what will be your next step. Will you revolt?
We have assigned senior leader M.B. Patil to have a discussion with the AICC in New Delhi on what made the party ignore many experienced and able leaders. Mr Patil held a meeting with top leaders and is back. He will brief the team of disgruntled leaders in Bengaluru on June 11 before we take any decision. The party leaders may put pressure on me to accept some offers it could make in the next days but I will not accept any of them. My question of launching a revolt against the party does not arise. We (disgruntled MLAs) will sit and discuss our future course of action at the meeting on June 11.

Are M B Patil and you ready to become ministers if the berths are offered?
The way the party managed cabinet formation and the yardstick it adopted to allot berths to MLAs is still unclear to me. I have already made it clear to party leaders that I will not accept any offer. My stand is clear- I have decided not to enter the cabinet even if I get the offer now. Instead, I will appeal to the party to induct some of the deserving and senior leaders from the group of disgruntled leaders as ministers. Already, M.B. Patil has made his stand clear that he also will not accept any offer made by the party.

The Congress is clearly worried about your next move after the June 11 meeting. 
We both (Patil and me) have decided on what we have to do and I have already told you about it. Now we both would like be referees in a football game who will only oversee the match. We are not keen on playing the match at all. We want to allow all other players (MLAs of Congress) to play the game of football and enjoy it.

What made the Congress sideline many top state leaders including Siddaramaiah and promote only D.K. Shivakumar?
The party is in a better position to judge who is the leader who is important, popular or able. It should have given importance to all those able leaders who remained loyal to it for so long. As to why only D.K. Shivakumar is the party's ‘pet’ at this stage, this is a question that you should ask the party top leaders.