BENGALURU/BELAGAVI: Distancing himself from dissident
MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi
,
Kagawad MLA Shrimant Patil
on Friday said he will not quit the
Congress even if the
Gokak legislator
does.
Every time Ramesh raises the banner of revolt, the names of Patil and Mahesh Kumatalli, Athani MLA, surface and rumours do the rounds that they are hand-in-glove with the Gokak MLA. This time too it is being speculated that both will leave the Congress when Ramesh does. However, Patil claimed he has no plans on quitting any time soon.
“I don’t know about Ramesh, but I am not going anywhere. I will remain in the Congress,” Patil announced before he met chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and water resources minister DK Shivkumar in Bengaluru.
As for Kumatalli, forests minister Satish Jarkiholi, who is engaged in a running feud with his brother Ramesh, insisted he will not leave the Congress. While urging reporters not to speculate about the first-time MLA, Satish also claimed Ramesh’s efforts to destabilize the coalition government will not yield fruit as he does not have the required numbers.
“Even if Mahesh resigns with Ramesh, there will be no threat to [the stability] of the government,” Satish told reporters in Belagavi. “Mahesh has actively worked for the Congress in the
Lok Sabha elections
despite a direction from Ramesh to support the BJP. This shows he is not quitting Congress.”
Satish also chided Ramesh while describing him as fickle minded. “The Gokak MLA is very confused about his stand,” Satish said. “He changes his statements frequently in a day itself. On Wednesday, he had said he would tender his resignation as MLA on Thursday morning but he did not live-up to his words. There is no meaning in talking about a person who has no commitment.”
Satish called on his elder brother to explain his problems. “He should be vocal about his problems. People are eagerly waiting to know what they are. As far as I know, Ramesh is joining BJP to get a ticket for his brother-in-law Ambirao Patil in Gadahinglaj assembly constituency in Maharashtra, he said.
Meanwhile, KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao asked Ramesh not to take any decisions in haste. “The Congress has not betrayed him. We have all treated him very well. He was made minister. He may have taken a decision due to personal reasons,” Gundurao told reporters adding that Ramesh was a born Congressman and he would not ditch the party.