Jarkiholi miffed as Gruha Laxmi scheme launch moved to Mysuru

The Chief minister or the Congress high command should give reasons for the event being shifted to Mysuru, he said.

Public Works Department and District Incharge Minister Satish Jarkiholi expressed displeasure over the Gruha Laxmi Scheme launch event being shifted from Belagavi to Mysuru.

Earlier he was told to make preparations for the scheme launch here and had begun preparations, but now the event has been shifted, the minister said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the schedule and venue of the event here. The Chief minister or the Congress high command should give reasons for the event being shifted to Mysuru, he expressed.

Jarkiholi told reporters here on Monday he could not give reasons for the Gruha Laxmi Scheme launch being shifted.

During the cabinet meet they were told that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attending the launch of the scheme has a programme scheduled at his Lok Sabha constituency Wayanad, hence the event was being shifted to Mysuru, the minister said.

Neither Siddaramaiah nor KPCC President D K Shivakumar commented on this matter.

Jarkiholi said, many MLAs from both BJP and JD(S) were prepared to join Congress and were in touch with the chief minister and deputy chief minister. He said he was unaware of the names of those who came, as talks were in progress with state leaders. None of the BJP leaders from district are joining Congress as of now, as per the minister.

He refuted claims by BJP leader C T Ravi that they would checkmate top Congress leaders. He said, the BJP was not in a position to poach Congress MLAs in its present state, instead, Congress was in a position from where it could poach MLAs of the opposition party.

Jarkiholi said, all party workers including MLAs and former MLAs cannot be made chiefs of boards and corporations as there were about 100 such posts across the state and lakhs of party workers.

Some could be satisfied with getting the posts, others would not, Jarkiholi said noting that it was a natural phenomenon in political parties.

On a query about trifurcation of the Belagavi district and more demands coming to the fore, he said, "everybody has right to make their own demands and its for government to decide. We want Belagavi taluk bifurcation to take place before November 1, and decision of district trifurcation could be little later".

He said, "about two to three meetings will be held from first week of September onwards to select candidates for Lok Sabha election from Belgaum and Chikkodi parliamentary constituencies. MLC Prakash Hukkeri has been interested to contest from both Belgaum and Chikkodi, Prakash Chingale from Chikkodi and Kiran Sadhunvar from Belgaum". Jarkiholi added that they have targeted 20 Lok Sabha seats and both candidates from the district will be announced to facilitate preparations.