In a major setback to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a powerful backward class leader and Excise Minister Satish Jarkiholi resigned from the Cabinet by saying that he was unhappy with the Excise portfolio and had decided not to continue as a Minister but will work for the party. He also said that he was not against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
However, efforts are on to pacify the powerful Belagavi leader who is also a close friend of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister told reporters that Satish would continue as a Minister indicating that he had not accepted his resignation.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister confirmed that he had received the resignation sent by Jakiholi. “I spoke to him this morning over telephone and requested him to come to Bengaluru on Thursday. He is a very sensitive person and I will sort out the matter,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said that the Minister had earlier requested him to change the portfolio. He had promised him of changing his portfolio.
In embarrassment to the Chief Minister, Jarkiholi had said from his Gokak residence in Belagavi district last night, after dispatching the resignation to Siddaramaiah that he was unhappy with the Excise portfolio and had decided not to continue as a Minister but work for the party.
Jarkiholi had been termed as an ‘under performer’ as the Excise department was certain to miss the target of mopping up Rs 14,400 crore as revenues from Excise during the current fiscal. He had also said that he had no misunderstanding with Siddaramaiah who will continue to be the Chief Minister for the remaining three and half years of Congress rule and would solidly back him.
The strongman from Belagavi had quit as Textiles Minister in 1995 during Janata Dal rule when Siddaramaiah was the Finance Minister complaining that his department was ignored and received meagre allocations.
He had earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the current portfolio and wanted a berth that would help him ‘serve’ the people better rather than being the State Excise Minister. Meanwhile, the main Opposition BJP on Wednesday termed the Minister quitting the Cabinet as “the beginning of the end of Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister”.
The BJP also finds this a turmoil within the Congress which is going to engulf the ruling party. State BJP president Prahlad Joshi termed the stir created by Jarkiholi as a serious problem within the Congress Government which was brewing for some time. “More Ministers will be quitting the Cabinet shortly and this will end Siddaramaiah’s rule in Karnataka,” he predicted.
Other Congress leaders in the State played down the issue and said the two leaders had been close associates since they were in Janata Parivar before and then joined the Congress. IT and BT Minister SR Patil, who is the leader of the legislative Council, said in Vijayapura that Jarkiholi would withdraw his resignation as he had high regard for Siddaramaiah.
Congress leader AH Vishwanath said the Chief Minister had always stood solidly behind Jarkiholi in his political career and both were very close friends. They would sit together and sort out the matter, he said here.
According to sources in the State Congress, the relationship between the two is said to be on the rocks after Siddaramaiah did not accommodate Jarkiholi’s suggestions on appointments to boards and corporations.
During Siddaramaiah’s visit a few days ago to Belagavi, Jarkiholi did not meet him. In a later development, Jarkiholi, speaking to mediapersons said the Chief Minister had asked him to meet him personally in Bengaluru on Thursday and he would abide by his direction. “later I will announce my final decision whether to continue in the Cabinet,” he said.