Satish Jarkiholi is the Public Works Minister | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
“The demand of Congress workers and leaders for a Dalit chief minister is natural. Such a demand does not mean that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should be ousted. It is a demand made keeping in mind the future. But it is for the party high command to decide on such issues,” Public Works Minister and KPCC Working President Satish Jarkiholi said in Hukkeri on Wednesday.
“Several leaders keep talking about the need for a Dalit Chief Minister for the state. Such demands are meaningless. It creates confusion among people and party workers. We all should realize that such demands are political and the party high command has the authority to decide such issues,” he said.
“All of us should realize this,” the Congress leader said in response to a query.
“There is nothing wrong with MLAs trying to be ministers for the first time. They can be accommodated based on their eligibility. No one said they will not be made ministers,” he said.
“The members of the youth organizations are upset that there are several long pending vacancies in various government departments. The state government is ready to fill all the pending vacancies in phases. The long pending vacancies are an administrative issue and not a political issue. The Chief Minister has already arranged a meeting to find a solution to this problem,” he said.
He said he has directed Belagavi district officials to prevent fraudulent activities such as trespassing and property registration using fake Aadhaar cards and other fake documents.
“The police have already arrested some, including the sub-registrar in Hukkeri taluk. This operation will continue,” said the district in-charge minister.
He said he had no differences with Congress leader and former minister AB Patil. “We may have campaigned for different panels in the local cooperative society elections. But we will fight the local polls and assembly elections together. We are both Congress workers and that is important,” he said.
Published – 25 Feb 2026 19:43 IST
