Hubballi: Former minister, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been lying low since he was dropped from the Cabinet, surfaced in Gokak town Tuesday night and met some Congress leaders, who also reportedly nurse a grouse against the party, before leaving Wednesday morning.
His sudden appearance set off a flurry of activity and the media waited for him at the inspection bungalow in Belagavi for hours in the hope that he would turn up there, but was left disappointed as he gave it a miss.
Mr Jarkiholi has become isolated within the Congress as he has not been able to gain the support he needs to topple the coalition government. The BJP top brass in Delhi too is reportedly not interested in meeting him unless he has the backing of over 15 legislators. Going by BJP leaders, the party is being cautious about destabilising the state government with the Lok Sabha elections due soon.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders in Belagavi claim Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi is trying to elude the media as he failed to carry out his threat to quit the party in protest after being dropped from the Cabinet. The party has, however, taken him seriously and made unsuccessful attempts to contact him. Even his brother and minister, Satish Jarkiholi has not been able to reach him.
Congress MLA, Mahesh Kumatalli of Athani constituency, who has publicly declared his support for the unhappy leader and urged the Congress leadership to mend fences with him, also admitted recently that he was not able to speak to him as his mobile phone had been switched off for over a week.
