In a surprising turn of events, former MP Ramesh Katti resigned as the chairperson of the Belagavi District Central Cooperative (BDCC) Bank on Friday, amid growing tensions with the majority of the bank’s directors.
On Thursday, 14 directors skipped a meeting called by Ramesh Jarkiholi, opting to hold a separate meeting instead. They also decided to bring forward a no-confidence motion against Katti. Disturbed by these actions, Katti submitted his resignation to the bank’s general manager on Friday.
Katti had held the chairmanship for the past nine years, and his sudden resignation, a year ahead of elections, has raised several questions. Sources suggest many directors were dissatisfied with Katti’s leadership, as several of their demands went unmet. Additionally, the ongoing rift between Katti and former MP Annasaheb Jolle is believed to have played a role in this development. Katti had been eyeing the BJP ticket for the Chikodi Lok Sabha seat, but after the party re-nominated sitting MP Jolle, Katti distanced himself from the election campaign.
In response to the situation, Arabhavi MLA Balachandra Jarkiholi held an emergency press conference at the Circuit House on Friday evening. He announced that a new chairperson would be chosen soon, with a five-member committee being formed to oversee the selection. The committee will include District Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, KLES chairperson Prabhakar Kore, former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi, and Ramesh Katti himself. They will finalize the new chairperson to serve until the next elections.
Balachandra emphasized that Katti’s resignation was voluntary, made at the request of senior figures. He dismissed any claims of rebellion by the board or internal conflicts between Katti and the directors. He also noted that under Katti’s leadership, the bank earned a profit of ₹30 crore last year. Vice-chairman Subhash Dhavaleshwar and directors Annasaheb Jolle, Mahantesh Dodagoudar, and Arvind Patil were also present at the press conference.
