Daijiworld Media Network - Belagavi (SP)

Belagavi, Sep 8: The election to board of directors of Primary Land Development (PLD) Bank here, which was held on Friday September 7, has always been under the control of Jarkiholi brothers. But the election this time had threatened to create a storm in the coalition government as Congress party bigwigs, Jarkiholi brothers, and Laxmi Hebbalkar, locked horns as a section of the directors reportedly deserted Jarkiholi and backed Hebbalkar.

In the unanimous election was made possible with the intervention of Khandre and other party leaders, Mahadev Patil was made president unanimously. Mahadev is said to be a supporter of Laxmi Hebbalkar, but Jarkiholi brothers were hell bent on denying this post to Hebbalkar's close aide, Bapu Gowda Patil. Bapu Saheb Mohammed Ali Jamadar was made vice president, with the efforts of Ishwar Khandre. It is said that Jarkiholi brothers, when contacted by Khandre, had sternly told them that if Bapu Gowda Patil owing allegiance to Hebbalkar becomes president, they will tread their own ways. They had no problem if anyone else got the post. Interestingly, the name of Mahadev was proposed by Sathish Jarkiholi.

It is said that during the assembly election recently, Bapu Gowda Patil, who happens to be a prominent Lingayat leader, had campaigned against Jarkiholi brothers. Congress leaders who kept continuous contact with the warring leaders ensured that only one nomination each was filed for the posts of the president and vice president of PLD Bank.

As per an estimate, Yamakanamaradi MLA, Sahtish Jarkiholi, had secured very few Lingayat votes in the recent assembly election. During the PLD Bank election, Laxmi Hebbalkar, who had planned to bring down the influence of Jarkiholi brothers, had planned to make Bapu Gowda the president of PLD Bank. Political analysts believe that Laxmi Hebbalkar could muster the courage to take on Jarkiholi brothers because of the support of minister D K Shivakumar.

Jarkiholi brothers got the information that Shivakumar had planned to make Laxmi Hebbalkar the Lok Sabha candidate of Congress during next year's election. Jarkiholi brothers who were certain that Hebbalkar will become unstoppable if she becomes Lok Sabha member, planned to tame her through this PLD Bank election, which otherwise would have not turned into a question of prestige between the two sides and threatened to rock the coalition government.