Belagavi, 10 May

Athani Congress MLA and former deputy chief minister Lakshman Savadi said he would beat Gokak BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi “with footwear” as the war of words between the legislators escalated dramatically.

Jarkiholi has been issuing provocative remarks on Savadi over the past two years, but the latter usually responded calmly. However, Savadi took offence to Jarkiholi’s recent comments, where the Gokak MLA said he would make his Athani counterpart “drive a tractor instead of travelling in high-end cars.”

In response, Savadi said he was the son of a farmer and fully capable of doing such work. "Not only tractors, but I can also drive bullock carts. He must remember this”.

He added that Athani was the land where Shivayogi Sharana had walked and preached, and therefore, he would never allow anyone to harm or do injustice to the people of the taluk.

Jarkiholi has a history of making insulting, derogatory remarks against Savadi. Jarkhiholi said he would not rest until defeating Savadi in the Athani constituency.

In the 2018 Assembly election, Jarkiholi succeeded in defeating Savadi by fielding Mahesh Kumathalli from the Congress. However, the outcome was reversed in the 2023 Assembly election, when Savadi defeated Kumathalli by joining the Congress himself.

The victory was considered a major setback for Jarkiholi, a political heavyweight who was then widely regarded as never having seen defeat.

Responding to Jarkiholi’s frequent jabs, Belagavi district’s former BJP president Sanjay Patil expressed his helplessness.

"The district block is not in a position to reach out to him with the matter. It can’t even issue a notice to him to attend an inquiry," the former two-term Belagavi Rural MLA said.