BJP should bring back Yatnal, says Ramesh Jarkiholi

Ramesh Jarkiholi, MLA and party leader, said that the BJP should make every effort to bring back Basanagouda Patil Yatnal to the party.

Speaking here on Monday, Mr. Jarkiholi said, “I have always supported Mr. Yatnal. I don’t support B.Y. Vijayendra, the State BJP president. Since the time of his expulsion, I have maintained that Mr. Yatnal should rejoin the BJP. Even now, we should make all efforts to see that he is taken back. Mr Yatnal has said that he would form another party only if Vijayendra continues. It has been eight months since he was expelled. But he has remained active in politics. He has his own fan base across the state. The BJP should not lose him”.

“We have opposed Mr. Vijayendra. But we have never spoken against Yediyurappa. It is clear that the BJP party is being ruined because of Mr. Vijayendra. This also hurts us,’’ he said.

Mr. Jarkiholi said that he had strong political differences with Laxman Savadi and that he would work hard in 2028 to defeat him in Athani. “We may have lost the Belagavi district central cooperative bank elections from Athani. But we will win the Athani Assembly seat,” he said.

He cautioned Ramesh Katti, a fellow BJP leader who has political differences with the Jarkiholi family, to mend his ways and not to abuse leaders or communities. “He is my friend. But I am upset that he abused my community during the recent cooperative elections. My brothers fought against Ramesh Katti’s panel in the Rural Electricity Cooperative Society in Hukkeri, but I was not in favour of it. Ramesh Katti should stop speaking in public as if he has lost his mind. Or else, he will suffer a lot in his political career,” he said.

He felt that there was no point in BJP leaders talking about the internal differences in the Congress. “Why are our party members discussing the Congress November Revolution? I don’t understand. What does it matter to us if D.K. Shivakumar is made the CM or Mr. Siddaramaiah continues, what do we need them for? Our job is to work as an effective Opposition,” he said.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is associated with the management of a sugar factory, said that he was supporting the farmers’ struggle for higher prices for sugarcane. “Farmers should get justice. The government should declare a support price as soon as possible,” he said.