Miffed Ramesh Jarkiholi gives Rahul Gandhi’s rally a miss

Hubballi: Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been upset with the party top brass since he was dropped from the state Cabinet, was conspicuous by his absence at party president, Rahul Gandhi's rally in Chikkodi, Belagavi district on Friday.

Even worse, he has been campaigning for the BJP in  Belagavi. In fact, his brother Balachandra Jarkiholi,  a BJP legislator from Arabhavi, has boasted that  his support is an added advantage to sitting MP, Suresh Angadi these Lok Sabha polls.

His other brother and Congress minister, Satish Jarkiholi had, on the other hand, warned that the party could take action against Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi for campaigning for the BJP in Belagavi and claimed that he had failed to carry out any developmental work both as legislator and minister in his constituency.

Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi has been staying away from party activities after he was dropped from the Cabinet and held a meeting with his supporters and members of the Gokak city municipal council on supporting the BJP in the elections. And now , indications are  that the former minister could quit the Congress soon.

Going by sources close to him, he could join the saffron party after the parliamentary elections.  Some months ago, he was at loggerheads with Belagavi rural Congress legislator, Laxmi Hebbalkar over the elections for the posts of PLD bank chairman and vice-chairman,  and it took intervention from former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to  resolve the rift between them. This stopped the issue from escalating further as  Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi had threatened to desert the Congress along with a few legislators, a move which could have proved disastrous for the coalition government.