Former MP and BJP leader Ramesh Katti refutes baseless rumors about joining Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to journalists in Belgaum on Monday, Ramesh Katti emphasized that he has no intention of departing from the BJP, given his family’s longstanding involvement with the party. He further stated that he has not been approached by anyone from the Congress.
In response to remarks made by Satish Jarkiholi, who is both a minister and the KPCC working president, Ramesh Katti stated that he had not been formally approached by the Congress. Jarkiholi had expressed that Katti would be welcomed into the Congress fold if he shared its ideology and principles. Speaking to journalists in Chikkodi on Sunday, Jarkiholi clarified that although there had been no direct contact with Katti, he would be warmly received if he chose to join the party. “We are focusing on winning the two seats in Belgaum district. But then, we will not approach Ramesh Katti or any other leader for this purpose,’‘ he added.
Jarkiholi further mentioned that the selection of party candidates for the constituencies of Belgaum and Chikkodi would be determined following consultations with leaders at both the state and district levels. “We are holding discussions with party legislators and former legislators in the two Parliamentary seats,” he said. He mentioned that while the possibility of his daughter, Priyanka Jarkiholi, a youth Congress leader, being nominated as a candidate was being discussed, no decision had been made as of yet.
Nevertheless, the speculation surrounding Ramesh Katti’s departure from the BJP is significant. Allegedly, he is dissatisfied after the BJP leadership overlooked his candidacy for the Chikkodi seat, opting instead to re-nominate MP Anna Saheb Jolle. Sources within the BJP claim that despite having the backing of senior leader B S Yediyurappa, Katti was passed over. Additionally, an internal voter survey reportedly favored Katti over Jolle, with Katti receiving three percent more votes, according to a member of the party’s election committee.
Ramesh Katti, the younger sibling of former minister Umesh Katti, is heavily engaged in the cooperative sector. At 60 years old, he serves as the chairman of the Belgaum District Central Cooperative Bank, one of the largest such entities in the state, boasting a working capital exceeding Rs 7,300 crore. Additionally, he oversees or is affiliated with several other cooperative ventures, including sugar factories, cooperative societies, and the Hukkeri Rural Electric Cooperative Society, which supplies power to Hukkeri taluk. Notably, during the COVID epidemic, he played a pivotal role in the Belgaum DCC bank’s establishment of an oxygen generating unit at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore.
It is reported that Ramesh Katti maintains friendly relations with leaders from various political parties, including Lakshman Savadi from the Congress and Prabhakar Kore from the BJP.
