Umesh Jadhav, MLA for Chincholi, whose disqualification the Congress has sought under the Anti-Defection Law for skipping two legislature party meetings, is said to have nearly made up his mind to sever ties with the party and throw his weight behind the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Though Mr. Jadhav, a two-time MLA, has claimed that he has not quit the Congress, sources in the party confirmed that the legislator, who attended the budget session for a couple of days, has almost decided to quit the party by next month.
Sources said Mr. Jadhav is tipped to be the BJP candidate from Kalaburagi (reserved) Lok Sabha segment against Congress leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge, who has never lost an election so far. Mr. Kharge has won nine Assembly and two Lok Sabha elections till now. His margin of victory in 2014 was around 75,000 votes.
Sources claimed that factors such as denial of ministerial berth during the Cabinet expansion in December, owing to the alleged interference of Mr. Kharge, and dominance in the district by Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge have forced Mr. Jadhav to distance himself from the party in recent days. Giving credence to the saffron party’s attempts to turn him, a few days ago former Minister Baburao Chinchansur, who had also quit the Congress and joined the BJP, said Mr. Jhadav would soon join the party.
Sources close to Mr. Jadhav said it was difficult for the MLA to climb the political ladder as long as the Kharge family ruled Kalaburagi district. The BJP is keen on fielding a candidate belonging to the Lambani community (to which Mr. Jadhav belongs) as it has a good number voters in Chittapur, Gurmitkal, Kalaburagi Rural, and Sedam segments.
Moreover, former Ministers Malikayya Guttedar and Mr. Chinchansur, who quit the party on the eve of 2018 Assembly polls and joined the BJP, are expected to support Mr. Jadhav if he contests against Mr. Kharge. While Mr. Guttedar belongs to the Idiga community, Mr. Chinchansur is from Koli Samaj. Both communities have a sizeable electorate in the constituency.