BJP puts faith in a new face against Congress warhorse

CHIKKODI: Known for feudal politics and sugar barons, this

Lok Sabha constituency

has often proved poll pundits and forecasters wrong. In 2014, many had predicted that BJP candidate Ramesh Katti would ride the Modi wave to victory, but Congress’s Prakash Hukkeri scraped through with a margin of 3,003 votes.


Chikkodi, which sits on the north-western tip of the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, might deliver a sur prise verd ict again this time. An exciting contest is already on the cards with the BJP fielding a new face, Annasaheb Jolle, against Hukkeri, an old political warhorse.

After waffling over whom to pick, the BJP opted for Jolle, husband of Nippani MLA Shashikala Jolle, over Ramesh Katti, younger brother of eight-time Hukkeri MLA Umesh V Katti. The RSS is said to have influenced the decision.

Jolle is a soft-spoken businessman who has built a cooperative empire in north Karnataka and south Maharashtra. He is also known for his philanthropic efforts and runs schools for physically challenged children in Nippani. “My social and religious work, along with the Modi wave, gives me an advantage,” said Jolle. This is not his first brush with electoral politics: last year, he contested and lost from the Chikkodi-Sadalaga assembly segment.

The denial of ticket to Ramesh Katti, who triumphed in Chikkodi in 2009 but lost in 2014, has upset the influential brothers, who are not actively campaigning for Jolle, which could hurt his chances. Ramesh was confident of wresting control of the constituency from the Congress, banking on Narendra Modi’s popularity and perceived antiincumbency against the sitting MP. Sensing divisions within the BJP, Congress leaders tried to recruit the Katti brothers, promising them a ticket, but state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa ensured the two did not switch camps.

Hukkeri believes the development work he has facilitated in the region would help him secure a second term from Chikkodi. “He has pushed infrastructure projects, such as new bridges and barrages, worth over Rs 700 crore. His good work will help him win again,” said Congress leader and former MLA Shahjahan Dongargaon.

But there are underlying currents of discontent between some senior Congress leaders in Belagavi district, and they could hurt Hukkeri’s campaign. Former minister and Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, an influential leader among the Scheduled Tribes, and his close associate, Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatalli, have not canvassed for Hukkeri so far. Another hurdle in his path: there are claims that he did not focus on assembly segments other than Chikkodi-Sadalaga, which is represented by his son, Ganesh. Recently, Congress workers lashed out at him for not showing up.

Political observers said the votes of the dominant Lingayat community and Dalits might get divided between Jolle and Hukkeri. Marathas and Jains are expected to back the BJP, while Muslims and Kurubas are likely to back the Congress. The preference of SC/ST voters might finally decide the contest.

Apart from the demand for a separate district status, a lack of irrigation systems is a major concern in the constituency, the state’s largest sugarcane producer.

Five rivers flow through this constituency, but there is no major irrigation project for agriculture here. There is also a severe drinking water crisis,” said Bandu Khot, a farmer in Harogeri village.