Satish Jarkiholi’s Delhi visit triggers political speculations

Amid the purported intra-party power struggle over leadership issue, Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s trip to Delhi has raised speculations in political circles.

Counted among those in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s inner circle, Mr. Jarkiholi is expected to visit Delhi in the next couple of days. While he insisted that his trip was not political, on Sunday he also did not rule out the possibility of meeting Central leaders.

MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of the Chief Minister, had recently caused a flutter in the Congress after he announced Mr. Jarkiholi’s name as Mr. Siddaramaiah’s successor only to clarify that he had meant Mr. Jarkiholi to be the successor in the Ahinda (Kannada acronym for Minorities, OBC and Dalits) ideology and politics.

“The trip is not political but is administrative in nature. I may go to Delhi in a day or two to meet Central Ministers such as Nitin Gadkari. Whenever I go to Delhi, I go and meet party leaders and there is no need to attach any special meaning to this,” Mr. Jarkiholi told reporters on Sunday.

However, party sources said that Mr. Jarkiholi has been angling for the post of the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, a position currently being held by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Sources said that his Delhi visit could be linked to his lobbying for the KPCC post, and that a administrative reason could also be there. 

In another statement related to leadership, Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy has clarified that he was not in any leadership race. His statement came in response to a page created on social media seeking the Chief Minister’s post for him by some of his followers. He urged his followers not to indulge in such acts.

Meanwhile, when reporters sought his reaction about Mr. Jarkiholi’s visit to Delhi, Mr. Shivakumar said: “Leaders visit Delhi for a lot of work. I am travelling to Bihar on November 5 and 6. The Union Urban Development Minister has called me for a meeting. Then there is the Cauvery Water Tribunal judgment. These visits should not be politicised.”