Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 27: Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, sensing that influential Congress MLA representing Gokak constituency, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has an axe to grind against his party leadership and hence has been threatening to leave the party and join BJP along with a few of his followers, has offered the disgruntled MLA a cabinet berth. He has extended an invitation to Ramesh to join his party and become minister.

In a meeting he held with Jarkiholi personally without the presence of anyone else on Thursday, Kumaraswmay is said to have told Jarkiholi that if he is unhappy with the Congress, he is ready to welcome him into the JD(S) and make him a minister. But Ramesh jarkiholi is understood to have remained non-committal.

Ramesh is aware that if he gives his nod to join the JD(S) and become minister, he would have to put an end to activities considered anti-party by the Congress, and also bury his plans to destabilize the government. Ramesh is a five-time legislator, and has the responsibility to protect the interests of legislators close to him.

After the Jarkiholi brothers, who had earlier stayed united in all circumstances, developed differences particularly with the outbursts of Satish Jarkiholi, Ramesh has tuned a bitter critic of the Congress. He is learnt to be angry with minister, D K Shivakumar. Now he is at the crossroads, as a few legislators who had pledged support to him in the past, seem to have changed their mind at the last minute. These legislators were convinced to change their stand and remain with the Congress by deputy chief minister, G parameshwar, and water resources minister, D K Shivakumar.

Athani MLA, Mahesh Kumathalli, Kagwad MLA, Shrimanth Patil, Hagaribommanahalli MLA, Bheema Naik, and Ballari rurral MLA, B Nagendra, were identified as being close to Ramesh Jarkiholi. After Parameshwar and Shivakumar talked to them, they have said they have no intention of leaving the Congress.