Ramesh Jarkiholi skips meet on drought

Hubballi: Rebel Congress leader Ramesh Jarkiholi stayed away with most BJP legislators from the crucial meeting convened in Belagavi by water resources minister D K Shivakumar to discuss the severe drought and water crisis in northern Karnataka on Monday, May 6.

Addressing pressperson after the meeting DK Shivakumar said that the legislators who did not attend the meeting would have come if they were interested in solving the region’s water problem.

Meanwhile, Satish Jarkiholi said no more effort would be made to try to retain his brother, Ramesh in the Congress.

There had been protests in several parts of Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapur districts in the Krishna river basin, with people setting tyres on fire and shouting slogans over the increasing water shortage in the region.

The BJP legislators from Kudachi, Nippani, Hukkeri, Rayabag, Arabhavi, and Savadatti Assembly constituencies of Belagavi district stayed away from the meeting.