Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had played a major role in bringing down the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and helping the BJP form government, stretched his winning streak in Gokak Assembly constituency to six with a comprehensive victory in the bypoll.
Ramesh Jarkiholi, contesting on the BJP ticket in the changed political scenario, saw off his brother Lakhan Jarkiholi by a margin of 29,006 votes. Ramesh polled 87,450 votes (including postal votes) while Lakhan managed to garner 58,444 votes. Ashok Pujari of JD(S) finished a distant third with 27,948 votes.
Ramesh’s victory has only reaffirmed his hold on the constituency. Former minister and Congress legislator Satish Jarkiholi, who managed to get the party ticket for his brother Lakhan with a promise to wrest Gokak from Ramesh, failed to breach his brother’s bastion.
In Athani, Mahesh Kumatahalli of BJP retained the seat, defeating Gajanana Mangasuli (Cong) by a margin of 39,989 votes. BJP’s Shrimant Patil edged out Raju Kage (Cong) in Kagwad bypoll. Interestingly, Patil, contesting on Congress ticket, had won 2018 Assembly election against the BJP candidate Kage.
‘Lingayats hold the key’
The disqualified MLA tag failed to dent the hopes of Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatahalli (Athani) and Shrimant Patil (Kagwad).
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, according to political analysts, swung it for Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Shrimant Patil (Kagwad) and Mahesh Kumatahalli (Athani) by appealing to the Lingayat voters in all the three constituencies, where Veerashaiva-Lingayat vote bank holds sway, that the community votes shouldn’t go out of the BJP.
The Lingayat voters, it is said, voted for Jarkiholi (Valmiki) and Shrimant Patil (Maratha) while Ashok Pujari and Raju Kage (both Lingayats) did not find favour with the community voters in their constituencies.