The dissent within the Belagavi’s Congress unit was evident during Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s recent visit to the district.
Published Oct 21, 2023 | 9:30 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 21, 2023 | 9:30 AM
The tussle between Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Laxmi Hebbalkar has turned out to be a big headache for the Congress in Karnataka. (supplied)
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a power tussle between Karnataka ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Laxmi Hebbalkar has turned Belagavi into the epicenter of troubles not only for the state unit of the Congress, but also for the Siddaramaiah-led government.
The two leaders — both from Belagavi — have been at loggerheads over transfers of officers as well as the internal affairs of the party.
The dissent within the Belagavi unit of the party was evident during Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar’s recent visit to the district, as no minister, party MLAs, or office-bearer was present at the airport to welcome him.
Though Shivakumar, who is also the chief of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), held a party meeting at Hukkeri, none of the party workers — excluding those from the Hukkeri Assembly seat — turned up.
According to party sources, “Satish Jarkiholi and Laxmi Hebbalkar have locked horns over officers’ transfer, the appointment of the KPCC working president, and candidature for the Belagavi Lok Sabha seat.”
Enraged at Hebbalkar, Minister for Public Works Jarkiholi had geared up to display his strength to the party high command by taking around 20 like-minded MLAs to Mysuru; however, the timely intervention of senior leaders of Congress convinced him to drop his plans at the last moment.
The political landscape in Belagavi witnessed heightened tensions on 18 October as Shivakumar’s visit exposed a deep-seated lack of unity among the Congress cadre.
The battle for control over Belagavi became evident, with the two prominent factions led by six-time MLA and minister Satish Jarkiholi on one side and two-time MLA and minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on the other.
The fissures within the party came to the fore during a crucial party meeting in Hukkeri, where senior Congress leaders — notably ministers from the region — were conspicuously absent.
This fuelled speculation about strained relations between Shivakumar and Jarkiholi, further complicating the political dynamics in the region.
ಇಂದು ಹುಕ್ಕೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರ ಸಮಾವೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದೆ. ಪಕ್ಷದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರಿಗೆ ಸನ್ಮಾನಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂಬ ಉದ್ದೇಶದೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂತೋಷದಿಂದ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರ ಶ್ರಮದಿಂದ ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಪಕ್ಷ ಅಧಿಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬಾರದು. ನಿಮ್ಮೊಂದಿಗೆ ನಾವಿದ್ದೇವೆ.… pic.twitter.com/TQu1JqVQkZ
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) October 18, 2023
On the absence of the ministers, Shivakumar told reporters in Belagavi on Wednesday: “There is no rift in the party. I had come here to take part in a private event. This programme was not scheduled earlier and decided at the last moment.”
He added: “Both the ministers informed me about their private engagements. Laxmi Hebbalkar is busy with the naming ceremony of her grandchild and Satish Jarkiholi is occupied with a private function. There is no tussle and dissent between me and Jarkiholi.”
On not turning up to receive the deputy chief minister, Jarkiholi told reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday: “I informed him earlier that I would not be available in the district due to personal engagements. Even the Belagavi District Congress Committee president was on tour. There is no need to give this a political colour.”
With these developments, Belagavi finds itself at the centre of a political storm, raising questions about the future course of the Congress in the region and the impact of internal divisions on its electoral prospects.
The longstanding feud between two powerful political factions, namely the Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar blocs, has resurfaced, casting its shadow not only over Belagavi but also reverberating throughout the intricate landscape of Karnataka politics.
This rift is not a recent development; its roots lie in the turbulent political developments of 2019 when the intense power struggle over the Primary Land Development (PLD) bank between the then Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi — Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s brother — and the influential Hebbalkar faction played a pivotal role in the downfall of the Congress-JD(S) alliance government.
Now, in a deja vu moment, the tensions between these two factions have once again emerged as a focal point, adding a new chapter to the complex narrative of political dynamics in the region.
A Congress source told South First, “The ongoing conflict between the Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar factions revolves around the quest for dominance and control in Belagavi politics. The discord between these two Congress leaders has escalated due to various factors, primarily concerning party affairs. The recent transfers are being seen as a pretext to conceal the internal dissent within the party.”
“With only six months remaining until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Jarkiholi is pressing for a ticket for his daughter from the Belagavi constituency. Simultaneously, Hebbalkar is fiercely advocating for a ticket for her son for the same seat. These conflicting demands have intensified the rift between the two leaders.”
“In addition to the candidate selection dispute, both Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar have put forth their preferences for key positions within the party. Jarkiholi has proposed Congress’ former MLA Anjali Nimbalkar for the position of KPCC working president. Hebbalkar has nominated Athani MLA Laxman Savadi for the same post. Jarkiholi is vehemently opposing Savadi’s candidacy,” claimed the source.
These dual challenges — the disagreement over candidate nominations and the contention for party positions — are the primary catalysts for the ongoing factional strife in Belagavi, as per sources within the party.
In a key development, Jarkiholi’s plan to take 20 like-minded Congress MLAs to Mysuru on the pretext of displaying his strength was averted due to the timely intervention of the party high command earlier this week.
As soon as the party high command got a hint about Jarkiholi’s plan, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal rushed to Bengaluru to dissuade the minister for public works.
The visit organised by Jarkiholi was called off after AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala expressed concerns over the phone with Jarkiholi, stating that such a collective outing could be misconstrued and provide ammunition to the Opposition ahead of the general elections scheduled next year.
Of the 20 MLAs, most were from Kittur and Central Karnataka. They had assembled at Jarkiholi’s residence to travel to Mysuru.
Despite Jarkiholi’s assertion that it was a casual excursion with “like-minded MLAs”, speculation suggested underlying political motives, possibly linked to dissatisfaction over candidate selections for the Belagavi Lok Sabha seat and appointment of the KPCC working president.
However, Jarkiholi vowed to seek permission from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief Shivakumar for such moves in the future.
He subsequently told reporters: “We have to compromise many times. I will continue to compromise for the sake of the party. I do not have the mentality that I should be in charge of everything for being a district minister.”
He added: “There was some confusion over the transfer issue. Now, it is over. Once there was confusion among some MLAs. We will give a joint name in the appointment of PLD Bank. If there is interference from outsiders, I will say it directly. I have no resentment, we all will go together.”
Responding to these developments, Hebbalkar told reporters: “There is no rift between me and Jarkiholi. He is a six-time MLA and I was elected twice. I have the responsibility of the Udupi district as well. He is experienced. I don’t know in what context he mentioned compromise. I will make it clear: There is no dissent.”
With the Jarkiholi-Hebbalkar tussle coming to the fore again, the BJP’s Karnataka unit is waiting for a déjà vu moment.
It may be recalled that the intense tussle between Satish’s brother Ramesh Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar over the elections of Belagavi’s PLD Bank led to the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) alliance government in 2019.
Rage over the interference of Shivakumar in Belagavi politics and Hebbalkar’s strong claims over the PLD Bank made Ramesh Jarkiholi take off to Mumbai along with 14 Congress MLAs and three JD(S) MLAs back then to help the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP return to power in the state.
The BJP appears to be waiting to benefit from this fight as well.
Political commentator Ashok Chandaragi told South First: “The forthcoming Assembly elections in five states are likely to decide the future of the Congress government in Karnataka. The date of 3 December will be D-day for not only these five states, but also for Karnataka.”
He added: “The BJP leaders are planning to fully encash the ongoing tussle between Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar. The BJP central leadership is already in talks with some of the ruling-party MLAs to repeat the political drama that unfolded in 2019.”
He continued: “The dissent in the Congress is evident as several MLAs are upset with their own party’s high command, including the chief minister, for not providing funds for development works.”
He also pointed out: “Satish Jarkiholi’s recent plan to take 20 MLAs to Mysuru is nothing but a show of strength to the party leadership. The Jarkiholi family aims to dominate in every possible way in Belagavi. This is being countered by Hebbalkar. Hence, the tussle between two factions for the last few years.”
