Belagavi: Former Minister, Satish Jarkiholi, who recently quit as All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in protest over being denied a Cabinet berth in the coalition government , asserted here on Saturday that he did not want to become KPCC president either but would back anyone who did. “I have decided not to accept the post of KPCC chief although the opportunity exists at the moment as people in the state identifyme only as Satish Jarkiholi,'' he declared, adding that he was committed to working for the overall development of North Karnataka.
Lamenting the neglect of the region by successive governments for several years, he regretted that only four of the 40 MLAs elected from it had made it to the state Cabinet although several were experienced and leaders of repute. “But now Mr K C Venugopal, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka, has asked me to submit a list of leaders to be appointed as heads of boards and corporations and I will soon give it to him,” he said.
On the growing cry for North Karnataka to break away and form a state of its own, he said this was not the right time for such a move. “Both Mumbai and Hyderabad Karnataka too are badly neglected. The government should work to set Attributing the neglect of North Karnataka to a lack of leadership in the region, he said it needed leaders like Mr Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress to see more development.00
