Belagavi/ Mysuru, 30 Oct

Senior BJP legislator Ramesh Jarkiholi has stirred political circles by claiming that “no power can stop (PDW Minister) Satish Jarkiholi from becoming the Chief Minister.”

Ramesh, who represents Gokak in Belagavi district and is the eldest of the five politically influential Jarkiholi brothers, made the remark while addressing reporters in Belagavi. 

“I am not in the race for the Chief Minister’s post. My only goal is to see Satish become CM. Either in this tenure or the next, we will surely make Satish the Chief Minister. No one has the guts to stop him,” he declared.

A seven-term MLA — five times from the Congress and twice from the BJP — Ramesh played a key role in bringing down the HD Kumaraswamy-led JDS-Congress coalition government in 2019.

Despite switching sides, Ramesh continues to share a cordial relationship with several Congress leaders. Recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remarked, “Though Ramesh left us, he is from our family.”

Ramesh’s comments come after Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra said his father should mentor Satish as a successor, a remark made ahead of the “November revolution”. 

Satish, a senior Congress leader and close associate of Siddaramaiah, has made no secret of his ambition to become Chief Minister after the 2028 Assembly elections.

However, Siddaramaiah has recently floated the idea of contesting the 2028 polls himself.