Jarkiholi coterie demands ministry for him, threatens to resign en masse

Over 50 elected representatives including Zilla panchayat members, taluk panchayat members, corporators, APMC members who are strong supporters of senior Congress leader and MLA Satish Jarkiholi have decided to resign from their posts demanding a ministerial berth to Jarkiholi in the coalition government.

Jarkiholi's supporters who have been protesting for the last two days, said in a media meet on Friday, that they had decided to resign en masse condemning the injustice meted out to their leader.

The elected representatives of different local bodies led by Zilla panchayat vice-president Arun Katambale announced that 15 Zilla panchayat members, 28 taluk panchayat members, two corporators representing the Belagavi City Corporation, three APMC members including the president and office bearers of various blocks of the party will be putting in their papers en masse.

Gangadhar Tavagmath a Zilla panchayat member, said Satish Jarkiholi had contributed immensely to galvanizing the party, but the party had done injustice to Jarkiholi.

Alleging that Jarkiholi had been denied ministership due to a conspiracy hatched by KPCC president Dr G Parameshwara, Karnataka state in-charge Venugopal, senior party leader Ahmed Patel, they added that they were deeply disappointed.

Satish Jarkiholi, who represents Yamakanamaradi ST reserved constituency and serves as the AICC secretary was not inducted in the recent cabinet expansion.

Jarkiholi supporters also took out a protest march in the city seeking induction of their leader into the cabinet. Elected members of different local bodies from Yamakanamaradi Assembly segment threatened to give up their posts.