Old rivals Katti, Patil join hands to counter Jarkiholi influence in Belagavi

Time of India

29-07-2025

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Belagavi: In a dramatic political twist in Belagavi district, former BJP MP Ramesh Katti and senior Congress functionary AB Patil — rivals for over three decades — have set aside differences and joined hands in Hukkeri taluk.
The surprise alliance is being seen as a strategic counter to the growing influence of the Jarkiholi family, especially over the key Hiranyakeshi cooperative sugar factory.
Their coming together has re-energised Lingayat representatives in the region, with recent meetings at Kaneri Mutt pointing to broader plans to curb the Jarkiholi family's rising clout.
Though long-standing adversaries, both Patil and Katti insisted their collaboration is "solely aimed at safeguarding cooperative institutions", especially the Hiranyakeshi factory, once a bastion of the Katti family.
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The factory, founded in 1956 by Appanagouda Patil, had been under the Kattis' control since 1995 until Jan 2025, when a faction led by BJP's Annasaheb Jolle and MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi seized control. The defection of seven board directors led to the resignation of Nikhil Katti as chairman, ending the Kattis' 30-year dominance.
However, discontent with Jolle's leadership reportedly drove board members to approach Patil and Katti for help.
"Hiranyakeshi isn't just a factory; it's a symbol of the cooperative movement," said AB Patil. "Initially, Rs 150 crore is required to kick-start the factory. We will arrange funds from various sources and restore it. Our goal is to crush one lakh tonnes of sugarcane in the coming season."
At a joint press meet, Katti said, "I am a loyal BJP worker, while AB Patil is a loyal worker of Congress. When it comes to politics, we will follow our party directions, holding our respective party flags."
The rising political clout of the Jarkiholi brothers in Belagavi, a region traditionally dominated by representatives of the Lingayat community, had triggered anxiety among senior Lingayats, prompting a closed-door strategy meeting at the influential Kaneri Mutt near the Maharashtra border.
The meeting sparked intense political chatter across the district as it came ahead of the high-stakes Belagavi District Central Cooperative (BDCC) Bank elections in Oct, where Balachandra Jarkiholi is leading efforts to secure all 16 seats unopposed. However, minister Satish Jarkiholi had played down the Kaneri Mutt meeting saying "such meetings against the Jarkiholi family are not new".