Amidst much fanfare and pomp, disqualified MLA from Karnataka’s Gokak, Ramesh Jarkiholi, on Friday received a warm welcome in Belagavi. Known as the man who conceived the plan to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he first conceptualised the idea during his stay at Eagleton resort on May 17. During his speech at Gokak, a video of which has been released, he revealed the details of how he conceptualised and carried out the plan to bring down the coalition government.
Ramesh Jarkiholi’s statement comes even as BJP leaders have consistently insisted that they had no role in toppling the government. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who started the rebellion, allegedly convinced 16 other MLAs to resign and bring down the coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy in July this year.
Addressing constituents in Gokak, he said, “When we were taken to Bidadi to stay at the resort on May 17, R Shankar and I did not like the atmosphere there. I was not happy about the way MLAs were being treated like pawns in a game by DK Shivakumar.”
Calling former Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah “arrogant” and former Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar “corrupt,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he was convinced he had to “teach both these leaders a lesson.”
“Siddaramaiah’s arrogance and ego was one of the reasons why I decided to leave. Siddaramaiah thought that he could sack me easily from the cabinet. He appointed me to get back at my brother. He wanted to finish off the Jarkiholis and our political career. He never wanted a leader from the backward caste to grow,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said.
How Ramesh claims he conceptualised the plan
In an emotional appeal to BJP party workers and his supporters, Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he met BS Yediyurappa a few days after the coalition government was formed. Ramesh Jarkiholi said that he met Yediyurappa in Bengaluru and informed him that he wanted to bring in 17 MLAs to topple the coalition.
“He was not sure whether I could be trusted because I had remained loyal to Congress for over 20 years. But he believed me and I met Amit Shah (Union Home Minister) and Muralidhar Rao in Hyderabad later, where I told them about my plan,” Ramesh Jarkiholi said.
Ramesh maintained that his only condition to orchestrate the rebellion was that BS Yediyurappa be made the Chief Minister. “My efforts to bring in more MLAs failed eight times. Yediyurappa also told me that it may not be wise to continue and that I must stay back with the Congress. But I decided to persist and I succeeded,” Ramesh Jarkiholi added.
Ramesh Jarkiholi also said that former Water Resource Minister Dk Shivakumar and Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar tried to finish him off politically. “DK Shivakumar’s corrupt ways was also one of the reasons I was unhappy. He and Lakshmi Hebbalkar tried to end my political career,” he added.
The former Gokak MLA said that he felt betrayed by his brother, Lakhan, who may contest on a Congress ticket from Gokak. “I feel betrayed by my own brother. I had told him to wait another term before entering politics. Now he is going against me. Until December 5, he is not my brother but political rival. Let’s see how he can win,” Ramesh said.