Will back Satish post-BTPRD bank polls: Jarkiholi

District In-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he would support the decision that his brother and MLA Satish Jarkiholi takes, post-election of the president and vice president of Belagavi Taluk Primary and Rural Development (BTPRD) Bank.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Ramesh Jarkiholi who is also Municipal Administration Minister, alleged: "KPCC Women's Wing President and MLA Laxmi is involved in horsetrading. Some directors of the BTPRD bank are with her. However, a majority of the directors support my brother Satish Jarkiholi".

Elections to the president and vice president posts of BTPRD Bank will be held on Friday. "Based on the outcome, I will stand by the decision taken by my brother Satish," Jarkiholi added.

The minister stated that MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar's statement that she had given Rs 90 crore to the Jarkiholi family, had hurt him.

"The Jarkiholi family does not require financial aid from Hebbalkar. She should recall all the favours we have done to her. We had never expected that she would stoop to such a level," he remarked.

"The Jarkiholi family has helped Hebbalkar to rise in politics. When Satish proposed her name for Congress district president, I had opposed it at first, but agreed later, and signed the recommendation letter. I was inclined to appoint senior party leader Veerkumara Patil as Congress district president at that point," Ramesh added.

"When Hebbalkar’s father was suffering from cancer, it was the Jarkiholi family that came to her aid and got him treated at Hyderabad. Her brother's and son’s education was also facilitated by us. We even saved her husband's house at Khanapur from getting seized for defaulting loan repayments," he stated.

Jarkiholi said, henceforth, he would refrain from commenting against Hebbalkar and had assured the Congress high command of it.

He added said that the Income Tax department had been investigating the transactions made by Soubhagyalaxmi Sugars and Harsha Sugars and Laxmi Hebbalkar would get embroiled in the case.

He refuted that Hebbalkar had played a role in getting him elected in the last elections. “I have shown her New Delhi. Former MLAs Aravind Patil and Sambhaji Patil are aware of how I became a minister.” I had lobbied to make D K Shivakumar a minister. So he reciprocated by getting me a cabinet berth, Jarkiholi added.