According to sources, Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Nagendra, and Mahesh Kumatihalli, along with eight other coalition MLAs, could defect to the BJP.
Two days ago, Karnataka Minister for Environment and Forests, Satish Jarkiholi, told the media that if his brother Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi joins the BJP, then their brother Lakhan would be fielded as the Congress candidate from the Gokak segment. Satish Jarkiholi’s statement in Belagavi's Ghataprabha, has set off massive speculation that all is not well in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. “I have tried to reason with my brother and my efforts to change his mind have failed. If he joins the BJP, then my brother Lakhan will be fielded as the candidate from the Gokak segment,” Satish Jarkiholi said. Satish confirmed that Ramesh had distanced himself from the Congress party and that he had not been taking part in campaigning for the party’s candidates in Belagavi district. Congress sources indicated that four rebel leaders including Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatihalli and B Nagendra would join the BJP if the Congress-JD(S) coalition fails to perform well in the Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka Assembly has a strength of 224 MLAs excluding the Speaker. Umesh Jadav, the MLA from Chincholi, recently joined the BJP and is contesting the Lok Sabha elections against Mallikarjun Kharge. His resignation had brought down the strength of the Assembly to 223. Currently, MLAs Eshwar Khandre and Krishna Byre Gowda have contested the Lok Sabha polls. Assuming that Krishna Byre Gowda and Khandre win the Bengaluru North and Bidar segments respectively, the strength of the Assembly would fall to 221 excluding the Speaker. “If Ramesh Jarkiholi, B Nagendra, and Mahesh Kumatihalli resign from the party, then it would bring the strength of the house down to 218. The BJP has already been holding talks with eight other MLAs from the coalition. If they defect, then the BJP will be able to prove a simple majority in the Assembly very easily. These MLAs have promised to quit only if the BJP wins at least 18 seats in Lok Sabha,” the Congress source said. Congress insiders say that Satish Jarkiholi is already laying the groundwork in Gokak to wrest the Assembly segment from his brother. “Ramesh Jarkiholi is going to join the BJP in the next two months. Ssatish Jarkiholi is organising the party workers there so that he can install the youngest of the Jarkiholis, Lakhan, and wrest the segment from him once the constituency goes to bye-polls,” the Congress source added.
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