<p>Belagavi: Though the upcoming elections for the post of 16 directors at the Belagavi District Central Co-operative (BDCC) Bank are being portrayed as apolitical, developments on the ground suggest otherwise, with political undercurrents involving leaders from both the Congress and BJP becoming increasingly evident.</p><p>The BDCC Bank, one of Karnataka’s top-ranked co-operative banks, plays a crucial role in financing co-operative sugar factories and other institutions in the district. Its directors often wield significant influence, both financially and politically, with several former and aspiring legislators among those vying for seats.</p><p>Prominent figures among the 16 incumbent directors include MLA Laxman Savadi, former MPs Ramesh Katti and Annasaheb Jolle, and former MLAs Mahantesh Doddagoudar and Arvind Patil. Several of the other directors are also political aspirants who have either sought party tickets for Assembly elections or have contested unsuccessfully in the past.</p><p>The election campaign has been launched under the leadership of MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi, following the replacement of former BDCC Bank chairman Ramesh Katti with Appasab Kulgod earlier this year. </p><p>Jarkiholi has been holding meetings across taluks, unveiling a panel of candidates and declaring that the elections would be conducted in an apolitical manner under the guidance of Public Works and District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi and KLE Society Chairman Prabhakar Kore.</p><p>However, political dynamics tell a different story. Ramesh Katti, who was removed from the chairman’s post, has distanced himself from the Jarkiholi camp and has started mobilising support separately. </p><p>Whether Katti or Laxman Savadi, who has also fallen out with the Jarkiholi brothers, will be part of the main panel remains uncertain. While Savadi has been quietly organising his supporters, he has so far refrained from making public comments, calling the election campaign premature.</p><p><strong>‘Channaraj Hattiholi not to contest’</strong></p><p>In a surprising move, Minister Satish Jarkiholi recently announced that Channaraj Hattiholi would not be contesting the election, despite Hattiholi actively holding meetings with co-operatives in Khanapur taluk in recent months. Instead, Balachandra Jarkiholi has named incumbent director Arvind Patil as a candidate from their panel.</p><p>With the BDCC Bank elections shaping up as a battleground for political influence in the co-operative sector, the narrative of an “apolitical” contest appears increasingly tenuous.</p>
<p>Belagavi: Though the upcoming elections for the post of 16 directors at the Belagavi District Central Co-operative (BDCC) Bank are being portrayed as apolitical, developments on the ground suggest otherwise, with political undercurrents involving leaders from both the Congress and BJP becoming increasingly evident.</p><p>The BDCC Bank, one of Karnataka’s top-ranked co-operative banks, plays a crucial role in financing co-operative sugar factories and other institutions in the district. Its directors often wield significant influence, both financially and politically, with several former and aspiring legislators among those vying for seats.</p><p>Prominent figures among the 16 incumbent directors include MLA Laxman Savadi, former MPs Ramesh Katti and Annasaheb Jolle, and former MLAs Mahantesh Doddagoudar and Arvind Patil. Several of the other directors are also political aspirants who have either sought party tickets for Assembly elections or have contested unsuccessfully in the past.</p><p>The election campaign has been launched under the leadership of MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi, following the replacement of former BDCC Bank chairman Ramesh Katti with Appasab Kulgod earlier this year. </p><p>Jarkiholi has been holding meetings across taluks, unveiling a panel of candidates and declaring that the elections would be conducted in an apolitical manner under the guidance of Public Works and District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi and KLE Society Chairman Prabhakar Kore.</p><p>However, political dynamics tell a different story. Ramesh Katti, who was removed from the chairman’s post, has distanced himself from the Jarkiholi camp and has started mobilising support separately. </p><p>Whether Katti or Laxman Savadi, who has also fallen out with the Jarkiholi brothers, will be part of the main panel remains uncertain. While Savadi has been quietly organising his supporters, he has so far refrained from making public comments, calling the election campaign premature.</p><p><strong>‘Channaraj Hattiholi not to contest’</strong></p><p>In a surprising move, Minister Satish Jarkiholi recently announced that Channaraj Hattiholi would not be contesting the election, despite Hattiholi actively holding meetings with co-operatives in Khanapur taluk in recent months. Instead, Balachandra Jarkiholi has named incumbent director Arvind Patil as a candidate from their panel.</p><p>With the BDCC Bank elections shaping up as a battleground for political influence in the co-operative sector, the narrative of an “apolitical” contest appears increasingly tenuous.</p>
