HD Kumaraswamy’s Jarkiholi tapes put Belagavi bros in their place

Bengaluru: Contrary to the perception that Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had ceded ground to the Jarkiholi brothers to save his coalition government, it was Mr Kumaraswamy who confronted the Jarkiholi brothers and made them fall in line, at the crucial meeting that was held on Tuesday in a plush hotel in the city. 

High level sources told Deccan Chronicle that the chief minister warned them not to play any more games by playing a video clip on his mobile phone that allegedly showed the brothers from Belagavi meeting a BJP intermediary on a trip to Maharashtra, where they are clearly heard negotiating monetary compensation in return for bringing down the Karnataka government!

On Tuesday, the media had tom-tommed about how the Jarkiholi brothers dominated the meeting and walked away with a deal that gave them the upper hand. The CM camp too had maintained a discreet silence over what transpired inside the meeting. However, sources in the JD (S) have now told Deccan Chronicle that contrary to public perception, HDK lulled the 'rebel' into believing he was calling the shots, by letting him talk first. 

Municipal Administration minister Ramesh Jarkiholi let fly with his outburst followed by a list of all his demands. Mr Kumaraswamy reportedly responded to every demand, one by one. He agreed to a majority of the demands that pertained to the government including transfer of officials and stripping water resources minister, D.K. Shivakumar of the responsibility of Ballari district. Even Mr Jarkiholi's  insistence that he be made the deputy chief minister saw Mr Kumaraswamy, saying that the Congress party had to take a call and he was comfortable with the idea of another deputy chief minister. "If the Congress party wants, we can have one more DyCM," he said.

But, insiders said, when Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi continued his harangue, Mr Kumaraswamy pulled out his ace. "Even after I agree to your demands, if you think you still think you can bring down the government, then see this," said Mr Kumaraswamy and played a   video clipping on his mobile.  

The video clipping showed Ramesh Jarkiholi talking about the entire operation and demanding money from a middle man! On seeing the clip, the brothers were stunned into silence, with Mr Kumaraswamy twisting the knife by threatening to go public with the video and file a case with the Anti-Corruption Bureau. This, sources said, made the Jarkiholis brothers agree to fall in line, and not to create any problems for the government.

That's why, the Jarkiholi brothers, who had, while entering the meeting  sent word that they along with 16 MLAs would fly to Mumbai, came out and told the media that all issues had been sorted out as the CM had agreed to their demands! end-of