Congress workers celebrate Satish Jarkiholi’s son’s election as party office-bearer

Satish Jarkiholi’s son Rahul Jarkiholi is being welcomed at the District Congress office in Belagavi on Monday, after his election as Youth Congress State unit general secretary.
| Photo Credit: P.K. BADIGER

Congress workers organised a ceremonial welcome in Belagavi on Monday for the son of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, Rahul Jarkiholi, following his election as Youth Congress State general secretary.

The pan-Karnataka elections were held a few months ago and the results declared on Saturday.

Youth Congress members, District Congress committee workers and leaders and the Jarkiholi family loyalists celebrated his victory at the party office at Sangolli Rayanna Circle.

He greeted them and thanked them for supporting him in his election. “Congress is a party of the workers. It is due to your efforts that I won the election securing 1.8 lakh votes,” he said.

He said that he will raise issues involving their grievances at the appropriate fora and join them in rebuilding the party’s various wings in the State. “The Congress needs the strength of the youth today, more than ever. Let us all strengthen the party together,” the 25-year-old leader said.

Rahul Jarkiholi told reporters later that he will focus on building the party, especially the Youth Congress from the grassroots.

To a query, he said that there was no discussion whatsoever about his contesting the coming Assembly polls either from Hukkeri or other seats.

“My immediate focus is on party organisation and I will work towards it,” he said.

“We need to win the trust of the voters and the people. As of now, organising the party under the guidance of senior leaders is my only goal,” he said.

He said that he will tour the State in the coming days and visit various units of the Youth Congress at the block and district levels.

Rahul Jarkiholi, an engineering graduate, joins a long line of political leaders in his family. His sister Priyanka Jarkiholi is a Lok Sabha member from Chikkodi. Of his four uncles, only Bhimshi Jarkiholi is not in politics.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, the eldest of the Jarkiholi siblings, was the first to enter politics in 1989. His younger brothers Balachandra Jarkiholi is an MLA and Lakhan Jarkiholi is a Member of the Legislative Council. While Ramesh Jarkiholi and Balachandra Jarkiholi are in the BJP, Lakhan Jarkiholi is an Independent.